Seattle officer contesting $5,000 fine for crash that killed woman

The Seattle police officer who hit and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula is contesting the $5,300 traffic fine he received for doing so.

SEATTLE - The Seattle police officer who hit and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula is contesting the $5,300 traffic fine he received for doing so.

The Seattle City Attorney's Office in March declined to file charges against police officer Kevin Dave, and instead fined him $5,000 for negligent driving. Dave struck Kandula while responding to a high-priority call, driving 74 mph in a 25-mph zone. He had his emergency lights on but not his sirens, and struck Kandula as she tried to hurry across, sending her body more than 100 ft.

That fine was adjusted to $5,305 in April, and then was marked "delinquent" in May, according to records filed in the Seattle Municipal Court.

In late May, Dave filed to contest the fine, and after several motions and notices, will face a judge on Sept. 24.

The incident involving Dave came under intense scrutiny after another Seattle Police officer, Daniel Auderer — vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) — and SPOG president Mike Solan were captured on bodycam having a phone call, laughing and joking about Kandula's death. Auderer was fired for his comments and has filed a $20 million tort claim against the city, alleging their Office of Police Accountability and the Community Police Commission leaked information of their investigation into his behavior, with the goal of stirring up negative media coverage and "weaken the union."