Spending a decade playing guitar for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Josh Klinghoffer faced up to a year in jail following a 2024 car accident that claimed the life of a 47-year-old California man. On Wednesday (May 28) the musician accepted a plea deal that will allow him to avoid jail altogether.
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Appearing in an Alhambra courtroom, Klinghoffer, 45, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence in connection with the March 2024 death of Israel Sanchez, according to Rolling Stone.
The guitarist, who has also toured with Pearl Jam and Jane’s Addiction, will serve one year of informal probation and 60 days of community labor. He also must complete a driver safety class and pay restitution.
“If you continue to drive while distracted, and as a result of your driving someone is killed, you can be charged with murder,” the prosecutor told Klinghoffer after he entered his plea. Klinghoffer said he understood.
Josh Klinghoffer Is Still Facing a Civil Lawsuit
Officials said that Josh Klinghoffer was driving a black 2022 GMC Yukon on March 18, 2024, when his vehicle struck Israel Sanchez in a crosswalk.
Sanchez was walking to a nearby grocery store to purchase ingredients for soup, according to People. Medical staff pronounced him dead from blunt force trauma at a hospital later that day.
Authorities say the 44-year-old was driving an SUV in Alhambra, California, in March when he hit 47-year-old Israel Sanchez while he was walking in a crosswalk. https://t.co/TlzX6faqRL
— 13 On Your Side (@wzzm13) September 27, 2024
Last July, Sanchez’s family sued the musician for wrongful death and negligence. The lawsuit accused Klinghoffer of “likely driving while distracted” and claimed he “made no braking or slowing motion until after he fatally struck.”
Video footage obtained by TMZ shows the SUV’s driver pulling over after hitting the pedestrian. He then walks over to the body before turning around and quickly walking back to the car.
A hearing in the civil case is set for July 1.
In her victim impact statement, a tearful Ashley Sanchez called her father “the heart of our family.” His death “has left an irreversible void in our lives,” she said.
Featured image by Tony Norkus/Shutterstock
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