Ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarist Sued After Fatal Accident

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Popular guitarist Josh Klinghoffer who has played with Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers, has faced an accusation of fatally striking a grandfather with his car while scrolling through his phone via The Sun.

Josh Klinghoffer in trouble

Klinghoffer is being sued by the family of Israel Sanchez as he allegedly struck and killed the man with his car on March 18. The guitarist has been being sued for negligence and wrongful death.

It has also come to light that the lawsuit claims there is video evidence that Klinghoffer was on the phone at the time of the crash. Sanchez’s daughter, Ashley, spoke out about her father after the announcement.

“My dad was known for being a great chef, the most talented of his family, the greatest grandpa always full of love and joy,” Ashley said in a news release.

“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 guitarist was reportedly driving his GMC Yukon through Alhambra, California when he made a left turn and hit Sanchez who was on the crosswalk as per the lawsuit.

It is alleged that the grandfather was dragged across the asphalt due to the crash. Sanchez suffered from blunt force trauma to the head and died hours later.

Video clip was released to The U.S. Sun and it showed a man getting run over near a crosswalk by a black SUV. The car’s driver pulled over after hitting a pedestrian and walked toward the victim to check on them.

However, the driver was said to have turned around and immediately walked back to their SUV. Klinghoffer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler spoke about the lawsuit referring to it as a “tragic accident.”

“This was a tragic accident. After which, Josh immediately pulled over, stopped the vehicle, called 911, and waited until police and the ambulance arrived,” Brettler said.

“He is fully cooperating with the traffic investigation.”

Police are yet to make any arrests in the case, despite the family’s lawyer’s call for action.

“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,” said attorney Nick Rowley in a press release.

Klinghoffer gained prominence following his association as a guitarist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2012, he and the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making him one of the youngest inductees ever. He is now reportedly touring with Pearl Jam.