$18 million settlement in fatal Lamborghini crash

LOS ANGELES — 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.

Monique Munoz, 32, was on her way home from work at a hospital on Feb. 17, 2021, when the Lamborghini sport utility vehicle 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 just before 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 last 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.

Brendan Khuri had previously been cited for driving at excessive speeds, resulting in the Lamborghini being impounded by Beverly Hills police. 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 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 argued that a sentence of probation would be an injustice.