23-Year-Old Woman Dies After Being Hit by Seattle Police Vehicle

A 23-year-old woman passed away on the evening of Monday, January 23, 2023  after being struck by a Seattle Police patrol vehicle in South Lake Union, as reported by the Seattle Police Department (SPD). 

The pedestrian accident, which is being investigated by the SPD’s traffic collision investigation squad, occurred near the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street, just after 8p.m. Monday evening. Emergency responders performed CPR at the scene, after which the Fire Department transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center. The woman, identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office as Jaahnavi Kandula, was listed in critical condition before succumbing to her injuries, which included multiple blunt force trauma injuries.

The officer involved in the accident has been with SPD since November 2019, and was responding to an urgent “priority one” call at the request of the Seattle Fire Department when the incident occurred. SPD has not released any further details on how the incident occurred and has declined to identify the officer. 

According to SPD spokesperson, Detective Valerie Carson, the incident is not being investigated as a use of force case, as the officer did not intend to hit the pedestrian. The officer will not be working his next shift, but will instead be taking a “release day” as part of SPD’s officer-wellness program following traumatic or upsetting incidents, which must be approved by the officer’s chain of command. For more information on this developing story, visit The Seattle Times