Fundraiser For Family Of Woman Killed By Seattle Police SUV Tops $140K

SEATTLE — The family and friends of a young woman killed Monday night by a Seattle police officer driving to an emergency call are seeking answers from the city and raising money to help cover funeral costs and other expenses.

According to The Seattle Times, the victim was identified Wednesday as Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, a student from India seeking her master's degree at Northeastern University's South Lake Union campus. Kandula was struck and critically injured Monday by a patrol SUV heading to an aid call from the Seattle Police Department. She died from her injuries at Harborview Medical Center.

The Seattle Police Department has not named the officer who was driving or detailed the circumstances of the collision. Kandula's uncle told the newspaper he was attempting to learn exactly what happened and planned to visit the police department in person this week.

According to KIRO 7, the intersection where Kandula was hit has been targeted for safety improvements for several years, but budget cuts last year paused the project.

An online fundraiser raising money to support Kandula's family in India garnered more than 4,000 donations in just a day, reaching $140,000 by Thursday afternoon.

"She has a single mother working as a teacher at a school in India which makes it quite difficult to repay the education loan taken and also the expense of the procedures that the family has to bear," wrote Vanisudha Chilukuri, who organized the fundraiser. "Jaahnavi's sudden death has left a void which can't be replaced but we could at least help the grieving family by contributing anything possible to support their family during these hard times.:

In a statement Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell promised a full investigation into Kandula's death, along with the district's council member Andrew Lewis.