SEATTLE — A Seattle police officer was traveling at 74 miles per hour just before his police cruise struck and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula in an intersection in January, according to a case investigation report.
The officer, who has not been charged with a crime, was responding to an emergency call and was in a 25 mph zone at the time of the collision. Kandula had the right of way and was struck by the cruiser at approximately 63 mph, according to the report.
The report found that speed was the cause of the collision, as the speed at which the officer was traveling did "not allow [Kandula] or him sufficient time to detect, address and avoid a hazard that presented itself," the report states.
On the night of Jan. 23, officers responded to the scene at Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street around 8 p.m. Kandula was crossing from east to west in the crosswalk when she was hit.
Officers provided CPR to her until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived and took her to Harborview Medical Center, where she later died.
The officer was responding to a "priority one" call at the request of the Seattle Fire Department, according to SPD. According to the report, the officer was responding to a report of a drug overdose.
According to the report, the officer did not have his siren activated continuously. Instead, the officer "chirped" his siren at the intersection. He did have his emergency lights on, according to a previous statement from the police department.
At the time of the collision, Kandula was wearing a black jacket, black pants and white shoes. She may have had Apple AirPods in both ears, according to the report. Investigators were unable to determine what mode the AirPods were in - if they were worn at the time of the collision. She was about 18 feet into the crosswalk when she was hit, according to the report.
As the officer approached the point where the collision happened, it "appeared he attempted to avoid the collision by steering and braking," according to the report. However the report goes on to say steering input "was slight and rapid," and ultimately didn't change the path of the vehicle. Braking was done prior to the collision but was not enough to avoid the collision due to the speed.
A drug recognition expert responded to the scene and found no impairment in the officer.