$18M settlement in fatal LA Lamborghini crash involving teen
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of a woman killed when a 17-year-old driver crashed his father’s Lamborghini into her car in Los Angeles has reached an $18.85 million settlement in the case, attorneys announced Wednesday.
Monique Munoz, 32, was on her way home from work at a hospital on Feb. 17, 2021, when the Lamborghini SUV driven by Brendan Khuri ran a red light.
Prosecutors said Khuri had been racing another vehicle and swerving in and out lanes at more more than 100 mph (160 kph) just prior to colliding with Munoz’s car.
Munoz died at the scene of the collision near the Westwood area of Los Angeles.
Khuri pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and was sentenced last September to seven to nine months in a juvenile camp and four months of probation.
Munoz’s family filed a civil lawsuit in September. The settlement reached this week will help her relatives “finally get some closure for this horrific tragedy,” said Daniel Ghyczy, an attorney for the family.
“It was never about money for the Munoz family, it was about the acknowledgment of Brendan Khuri’s misconduct that resulted in the death of their only daughter and to ensure that he was held accountable. Today’s settlement is a testament to their efforts and is a step closer to justice,” Ghyczy said in a statement.
Khuri’s father, James Khuri, posted a statement on Instagram expressing his condolences to people who knew Munoz and saying he was saddened that nothing could bring her back, KCBS-TV reported.
“I hope that the $18.85 million insurance settlement will build a new beginning that will honor her spirit,” he said.
The monetary award could ultimately exceed $25 million, attorneys for Munoz’s family said. During Wednesday’s hearing, the judge decided to continue the case to a later date, when the family’s total restitution will be determined.
Brendan Khuri had previously been cited for driving at excessive speeds, resulting in the Lamborghini being impounded by the Beverly Hills Police Department. The SUV was returned to the teen by his father within two days, attorneys said. The crash that killed Munoz occurred three months later.
Prior to the fatal crash, Brendan Khuri and his father, James Khuri, frequently posted to social media platforms showing them speeding on surface streets in Los Angeles, attorneys said.
James Khuri was charged with a misdemeanor for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. A hearing in that case is scheduled for June 8.
During the criminal phase of Brendan Khuri’s case, defense attorney Mark Werksman had asked Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sabina Helton to sentence the teen to probation.
Munoz’s loved ones said the teen should at least spend some time in a county juvenile camp and argued that a sentence of probation would be an injustice.
