KTLA5 News published April 27, 2022: Driver in fatal Lamborghini crash to pay more than $18 million.
KTLA5 News
written by Cindy Von Quednow, Erin Myers
Wednesday April 27, 2022
The family of a woman killed in a West Los Angeles crash involving a speeding Lamborghini last year will receive at least $18.85 million after a wrongful death settlement was reached with the then 17-year-old driver, the family’s attorney announced Wednesday.
The law firm representing the family called the agreement one of the largest settlements in California history for a single plaintiff in a wrongful death case.
Monique Muñoz, 32, was killed on Feb. 17, 2021, when she was heading home from her job at UCLA Health.
She was heading west on Olympic Boulevard and was waiting to turn left on Overland Avenue when the driver of a Lamborghini SUV ran a red light and crashed into her vehicle going more than 100 mph.
The impact caused Muñoz’s car to nearly split in half and she died at the scene.
The driver, Brendan Khuri, suffered moderate injuries and was hospitalized. He was arrested nearly a week after the deadly crash and eventually admitted to a gross vehicular manslaughter charge. Last October, he was sentenced to seven to nine months in a juvenile camp.
The defendant’s name was previously withheld because he was underage at the time of the crash. He is the son of James Khuri, a local wealthy entrepreneur.
Before the crash, Khuri and his father posted on social media engaging in “illegal speed exhibitions,” on L.A. surface streets, the family attorney, Daniel Ghyczy, said.
“Although Brendan Khuri had only received his license a few months prior to this tragedy, he had already had several run-ins with law enforcement, one of which resulted in his Lamborghini SUV being impounded by the Beverly Hills Police Department,” Ghyczy said in a news release.
Citing tow records, Ghyczy said the SUV was returned to the defendant by his father less than 48 hours after it was impounded, and three months before the fatal crash.
Khuri was charged with a misdemeanor for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
During a restitution hearing on the settlement Wednesday, a judge decided to continue the hearing to a later date, and the family’s total monetary recovery could exceed $25 million.
“Today is a significant milestone because the Muñoz family can finally get some closure for this horrific tragedy,” Ghyczy said. “It was never about money for the Munoz family, it was about acknowledgement 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.”
CBS News, Los Angeles local
written by Staff
Wednesday April 27, 2022
An $18.8 million-settlement has been reached between the family of a woman killed in a crash with a red light-running Lamborghini SUV and the family of the 17-year-old who was behind the wheel.
The settlement was reached on behalf of the family of 32-year-old Monique Munoz, who was killed on Feb. 17, 2021, when a Lamborghini ran a red light at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Overland Avenue and slammed into her vehicle at over 100 miles per hour as she tried to turn left during rush hour traffic. She had been on her way home from her job at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.
Brendan Khuri, the 17-year-old son of millionaire businessman James Khuri, was sentenced to 9 months in a juvenile camp after admitting to his part in the crash.
Daniel Ghyczy, one of the attorneys representing the Munoz family, said the case against the Khuri family was never about money.
"The family faced numerous hurdles from both private insurance companies and the LA District Attorney's office, and experienced the harsh realities of racism and bias against those from underserved communities," Ghyczy said in a statement. "The family pleaded for the District Attorney to investigate this case and met with the office dozens of times to advocate for their family."
According to the attorneys, Brendan Khuri and his father often posted video of themselves on social media racing across Los Angeles' busy surface streets, sometimes against each other. Brendan Khuri had only received his license a few months before the fatal crash, and had already had several run-ins with law enforcement, including one that ended up with his Lamborghini SUV being impounded by the Beverly Hills Police Department, the attorneys said. The SUV was returned to Brendan by his father less than two days later, according to tow records.
A restitution hearing on Wednesday was postponed to a later date, when the the Khuri's total monetary recovery will be determined and could exceed $25 million, according to the Munoz family's attorneys.
But for the Munoz family, it was never about the money, but about making sure the driver was held accountable for his actions.
They rallied and protested in the months following the fatal crash, all the while fighting for "Justice for Monique."
CBS reporters spoke with Munoz's mother in late 2021, when Khuri appeared for one of his scheduled court appearances.
"I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to see his family," she said. "At the end of the day, he was the last person to see my daughter alive."
Residents in the West Los Angeles neighborhood, where they remember Munoz on a daily basis with their permanent memorial called "Monique's Tree," rejoiced after hearing the settlement, hoping that her family can finally get the closure they've been searching for.
"All of us on this street, when we heard it, ran out," said Nancy Chang, who detailed the heartbreaking event. "It was heart-wrenching witnessing. ... We were with her throughout, because her family, I don't think they were informed until later that night."
The tree in the neighborhood features a stenciled picture of Munoz's face and a plaque bearing her name. The curb in front of the tree also reads "RIP Monique" in pink letters.
"Losing a loved one is not easy. I'm just praying that they'll find peace," Chang concluded.
James Khuri posted a statement on the settlement on his personal Instagram account, which read:
"As a parent, we hope for the best for our children and words cannot describe how we feel when horrible things happen to our kids. It saddens me that nothing can bring back Ms. Monique Munoz from the car accident between her and my son, and I hope that the $18.85 million insurance settlement will build a new beginning that will honor her spirit. My deepest condolences to those who knew her and miss her."
He has been charged with a misdemeanor for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on June 8.
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