Josh Klinghoffer, the former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and touring member for the likes of Pearl Jam and Morrissey, has dodged jail after being charged with vehicular manslaughter in the death of 47-year-old Israel Sanchez.
The fatal crash took place in March 2024 in Alhambra, California. Klinghoffer was behind the wheel of a GMC Yukon when he struck Sanchez, who later died from his injuries. According to a wrongful death suit filed by Sanchez’s family, Klinghoffer was allegedly using his phone at the time and “made no braking or slowing motion” before impact.
Initially pleading not guilty, Klinghoffer struck a deal with prosecutors this week, pleading no contest to the lesser charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. The result? No jail time. Instead, he’s been hit with 60 days of community labour, a year of informal probation, mandatory driver safety classes, and restitution—though the exact amount is still TBD.
The Sanchez family isn’t letting this slide. Their attorney claims they’ve got video evidence of Klinghoffer using his phone during the crash and are continuing to pursue civil action.
“Israel Sanchez was on his way to make soup for his family,” lawyer Nick Rowley told Variety, “and never came home.” He called the guitarist “in a rush and on his phone,” accusing him of killing Sanchez “from behind with a large SUV.”
Klinghoffer’s lawyer painted a different picture last summer, calling the crash “a tragic accident” and saying his client immediately pulled over, called 911, and waited at the scene.
The incident is a brutal reminder of what’s at stake when even a split-second lapse in attention becomes fatal. While Klinghoffer continues his career on stage, a family is left grieving the kind of loss that no plea deal can undo.
A hearing is scheduled for July 1, where more details around restitution and potential civil outcomes are expected. Accountability, at least in the legal sense, remains a work in progress.
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