Los Angeles police have recommended negligent manslaughter charges against a teen driver of a speeding Lamborghini who killed a 32-year-old secretary when he slammed into her vehicle last month, the Daily Mail reports.
Brendan Khuri, the 17-year-old son of multi-millionaire manufacturing and distribution magnate James Khuri, remains hospitalized after the February 17 crash that killed Monique Munoz.
The Lamborghini he was driving — and allegedly street racing, according to Supervising Detective James Dickson of the LAPD’s West Traffic department told the Daily Mail — was a gift from his father for the boy’s 17th birthday.
“I can’t regurgitate what we found, but based upon multiple witness statements that corroborate one another, it’s clear that there was gross negligence,” said Dickson.
The detective said officials charges have not been filed and that the district attorney’s office would make that final decision. The DA’s office confirmed to the UK paper that they are reviewing the case.
Dickson also said it appeared the teen had been racing an Audi, which was found at the scene but not involved in the high-speed accident.
“We believe that that vehicle was potentially engaged in a speed contest with the Lamborghini,” the detective said. “That’s a separate investigation and that’s ongoing, so I’m not willing to comment at the moment, but we do believe that it was involved.”
An attorney for the Khuri family, Mark Werksman, said “the allegation that there was racing going on at the time of impact is simply false.”
Werksman said attorneys for both families are working out a financial settlement “to allow the families to heal.”
James Khuri has deleted multiple social media posts of Lamborghinis that he owns, including some with his son and frequently discussing the speed of the high-end sports car. Khuri and the boy’s mother, Christine, divorced in 2008. She and her new husband were reportedly opposed to the gift of a Lamborghini, the Daily Mail said.
Munoz died at the scene of the accident. Her family, who said she had wanted to go to law school, has been pushing for charges against the teen driver.
Munoz’s family has also claimed that Brendan Khuri did not have a driver’s license at the time of the accident. Dickson said police were awaiting DMV records to determine if he had a provisional license. California teens cannot drive alone until they have turned 17 and passed a drivers test; it’s not known if he had passed the test.
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[Featured image: Monique Munoz/GoFundMe]
