Josh Klinghoffer, a guitarist currently on tour with Pearl Jam, is facing a wrongful death lawsuit following a tragic accident in March that resulted in the death of a pedestrian outside Los Angeles.
The lawsuit, filed by Ashley Sanchez, the only child of the victim, alleges that Klinghoffer was distracted and using his cellphone when he fatally struck her 47-year-old father, Israel Sanchez, on March 18.
The incident occurred in Alhambra, about eight miles outside of downtown L.A., near the intersection of Meridian Avenue and West Main Street.
Sanchez was on his way to a grocery store and was walking over a crosswalk, when Klinghoffer made a left turn in his SUV and struck him from behind, according to the suit. Sanchez suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was pronounced dead at a hospital a few hours later.
Ashley Sanchez claims that Klinghoffer did not attempt to brake before hitting her father.
Nick Rowley, an attorney representing the family, said law enforcement failed to properly investigate the incident.
“They never charged the guy or even wrote him a ticket for blowing through the crosswalk and killing someone,” Rowley said, adding that Klinghoffer “should be arrested and prosecuted for homicide.”
Meanwhile, Klinghoffer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, acknowledged his client was involved in the incident but described it as a “tragic accident” in a statement to NBC News.
“After the car struck the pedestrian, 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.”
The lawsuit includes video evidence, obtained from a nearby Ring camera, which shows Klinghoffer holding some type of object in his hands just moments before the collision.
Video also shows a grassy median dividing the road, which the lawsuit claims should have given Klinghoffer time to see pedestrians and break before reaching the crosswalk.
Ashley Sanchez is now seeking a jury trial and damages, as well as compensation for the loss of her father’s companionship, protection, care and love, according to legal documents.
Representatives for Pearl Jam did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Klinghoffer, who’s currently on tour with the group in Europe, also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2007 to 2019, and with Jane’s Addiction last year as a fill-in for longtime member Dave Navarro, who was suffering from COVID.
