Josh Klinghoffer, a guitarist known for playing with various rock bands, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, and Pearl Jam, is being sued for wrongful death and negligence following a fatal pedestrian collision that occurred earlier this year.
Ashley Sanchez, the daughter of Israel Sanchez, the victim of the accident, filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court on July 10.
Mr. Sanchez was crossing West Main Street, which is divided by a center grass median, at the intersection of Meridian Avenue in Alhambra, California, via a marked crosswalk at the time he was hit. Prior to stepping out into the crosswalk, Mr. Sanchez “stopped at the corner and made sure the oncoming traffic had cleared and his path was safe,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Klinghoffer, who was heading north on Meridian Avenue before he turned left onto West Main Street, “was callous in his disregard for the rights and safety of pedestrians,” adding that the driver had “more than 40 feet of driving space and more than 10 seconds of time” to see a pedestrian traversing the crosswalk. The complaint also alleges that Mr. Klinghoffer was using his cell phone moments before his vehicle collided with the victim.
“Video of the incident shows that [Mr. Klinghoffer] made no braking or slowing motion until after he fatally struck [Mr. Sanchez], indicating that Defendant was likely driving while distracted,” the complaint reads.
The lawsuit, which seeks a trial by jury and various damages, including medical expenses and property damage, alleges that Mr. Sanchez was halfway across the crosswalk when he was hit. “The pedestrian was thrown and/or dragged across the asphalt where he sustained blunt force trauma to the head, and lay on the pavement until medical transport arrived,” the complaint reads.
Mr. Sanchez was taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, about three miles from the scene of the accident, where he was pronounced dead at 5:28 p.m.
Fatal Pedestrian Accident
Mr. Klinghoffer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, told The Epoch Times via email that the collision “was a tragic accident.”After allegedly striking Mr. Sanchez with his vehicle, Mr. Klinghoffer “immediately pulled over, stopped the vehicle, called 911, and waited until police and the ambulance arrived,” wrote Mr. Brettler. “He is fully cooperating with the traffic investigation.”
In a press release shared with The Epoch Times, Ms. Sanchez’s attorney, Nick Rowley, co-founder of Trial Lawyers for Justice, called the accident a “reckless homicide.”
“Mr. Klinghoffer should be arrested and prosecuted for homicide. We have a video of him on his cell phone at the time he hit and killed Israel Sanchez, a loving father, in a crosswalk,” Mr. Rowley said.
Reflecting on her father’s life, Ms. Sanchez, who is Mr. Sanchez’s only child, said he was “the most talented of his family.”
“My dad was known for being a great chef,” she said. “The greatest grandpa, always full of love and joy. His smile was so infectious. His life was taken by a careless act of a person who didn’t bother to look where he was driving.”
The complaint states that Mr. Klinghoffer went on tour after the accident, alleging that he has not contacted the Sanchez family since the incident or shown any remorse following the tragedy.
Mr. Klinghoffer is currently on tour with Pearl Jam.
Mr. Klinghoffer was previously a guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, helmed by frontman Anthony Kiedis. However, in 2019, 10 years after joining the group, the musician was reportedly let go after longtime guitarist, John Frusciante, rejoined the band.
