LOS ANGELES — Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is facing charges of manslaughter and negligence after allegedly striking and killing a pedestrian earlier this year.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Ashley Sanchez, the daughter of 47-year-old Israel Sanchez, who died after being struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk in Alhambra, east of Los Angeles.
The collision occurred on the afternoon of March 18, when, according to plaintiffs, Klinghoffer was driving a black SUV without license plates and was turning left at an intersection with a marked crosswalk.
Video footage from the plaintiffs shows a black car hitting a man, Israel Sanchez, while turning before stopping. The footage was taken from a neighbor’s Ring camera. Israel Sanchez suffered blunt force trauma to his head and died of his injuries at the hospital a few hours later, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit also alleges that Klinghoffer was using a cell phone while driving, as video footage shows the driver holding an object above the steering wheel. Video footage also shows a 40-foot-wide, grassy median dividing the road that should have given Klinghoffer time to see pedestrians in the crosswalk, the lawsuit says.
“My father was known as an amazing chef, the most talented of his family, the best grandfather, always full of love and joy,” Ashley Sanchez said in a press release. “His smile was so infectious. His life was taken by a careless act of a person who didn’t bother to watch where he was driving.”
Klinghoffer is currently on tour with the band Pearl Jam. He was unavailable for comment.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Nick Rowley, called the incident a “reckless homicide” that was not properly investigated by law enforcement.
“They never charged the man or even gave him a ticket for running through the crosswalk and killing someone,” Rowley said. “This is a horrible injustice.”
Alhambra police spokesman Sergeant Brian Chung said the case is ongoing and could not comment further.
