On January 23, a 23-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh was run over by a Seattle police patrol vehicle in the United States and passed away.Now, an online fundraiser set up to help her family has raised nearly Rs 1.3 crore ($1,59,029) within five days, exceeding the goal of $1,25,000 or about Rs 1 crore.Jaahnavi Kandula, a native of Adoni in Andhra’s Kurnool district, was pursuing a master’s degree at Northeastern University’s Seattle campus.On January 23, around 8 pm local time, she was crossing the road near the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street in the South Lake Union neighbourhood of Seattle, when she was hit by the police vehicle. According to the GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for Jaahnavi’s family,  she has a single mother working as a school teacher, who has to repay her education loan and also bear other expenses.Within five days, the fundraising goal was reached with around 4,700 donations.According to reports, Jaahnavi also has a sister who lives with her mother.She had first travelled to the US in 2021, to pursue a master’s degree in information systems.  According to the Seattle Police Department, after the accident, police officers arrived and found Jaahnavi with life-threatening injuries.They performed CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) while waiting for the arrival of the Seattle Fire Department.She was later transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition where she succumbed to her injuries.The officer driving the patrol SUV (sports utility vehicle) was responding to a priority one call with the Seattle Fire Department, according to the Seattle Police Department.

The police did not name the officer but said in a statement that he has been with the department since November 2019In an update on January 26, police said that the incident is under investigation by SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad.”At this point in the investigation, we have no reason to believe the officer intended to hit that woman,” Seattle Police Department spokesperson Detective Valerie Carson told Seattle Times.Carson further said that Kandula’s death will not be investigated as a use of force case. “We acknowledge that there is understandably tremendous interest in the surrounding facts, but for purposes of both preserving the integrity of the investigation and respecting the family’s right to privacy, we will not be putting out information over and beyond what has already been provided.We will provide all publicly releasable information, including the report, once we are able to do so, and in consultation with the family,” the police said.The identity of the police officer and other specific details were not reveled by the police.Several residents of Seattle condoled Jaahnavi’s death, and talked about the need to make the city’s streets safer for pedestrians. At the Vigil for Jaahnavi Kandula organized by Seattle Critical Mass.https://t.co/qcDhJRCPET pic.twitter.com/GWEoCZ7hwc— Badar Ahmed (@badarahmed) January 28, 2023Just now I visited the Dexter intersection where Jaahnavi Kandula was killed.I live without a car in this neighborhood and I walk these streets daily.

I try to be a careful pedestrian but I still experience close calls, particularly at nightI want our streets to be safer.pic.twitter.com/GlZde8yx1T— Greg Spotts (@Spottnik) January 29, 2023How do we make sense of Seattle Police officer Kevin Austin Dave killing 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula at a crosswalk?Here are two ways to think about her death and two actions the city could take TODAY to create a city where Jaahnavi might still be with us.— Decriminalize Seattle Coalition (Official) (@DecrimSeattle) January 31, 2023Jaahnavi Kandula was struck and killed by a reckless SPD officer’s patrol car while crossing a street.Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell defunded pedestrian safety development for that very intersection while pouring money into this murderous police department.pic.twitter.com/w20KCVkBlM— Pipsqueak Seattle (@Pipsqueak206) January 29, 2023With IANS inputs