Josh Klinghoffer Sued for Wrongful Death

Josh Klinghofferformer guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers and current member of the Pearl Jamwas sued for manslaughter and negligence after hitting a pedestrian with his SUV in Los Angeles last March.

The lawsuit was first reported by TMZ, which confirmed through Klinghoffer’s attorney that the guitarist was indeed behind the wheel when the crash occurred on March 18, 2024. Video obtained by TMZ shows Klinghoffer’s black GMC Yukon making a left turn at a crosswalk in Alhambra, California, when it struck the victim, identified as 47-year-old Israel Sanchez.

The video shows the car hitting and dragging Sanchez, after which Klinghoffer exits his vehicle, approaches the body, and gets back in the car. Sanchez suffered blunt force trauma to the head and died from his injuries about two hours later.

The lawsuit claims that Klinghoffer failed to brake and was “distracted” while driving. The LAPD has not yet made any arrests in the case, but the victim’s family is suing Klinghoffer for negligence and wrongful death and is seeking damages.

Andrew Brettler, Klinghoffer’s attorney, told TMZ: “This was a tragic accident. After he hit the pedestrian in the intersection, Josh immediately pulled over, stopped his car, called 911 and waited for the police and ambulance to arrive. He is, of course, cooperating with the police throughout the traffic investigation. This was just a tragic accident.”

Klinghoffer played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, replacing guitarist John Frusciante. He has since joined Jane’s Addiction and Pearl Jam as a touring member, and is currently touring with Pearl Jam.