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LOS ANGELES — The family of a man killed while crossing the street in Alhambra filed a wrongful death lawsuit against guitarist Josh Klinghoffer on Wednesday.
Israel Sanchez was walking to a grocery store in March when he was fatally struck by a Black GMC Yukon, which was turning left as Sanchez crossed a street, within a painted crosswalk, according to attorneys for the family. The 47-year-old was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Sanchez’s family names Klinghoffer as the driver and says he stopped at the scene of the crash but was neither arrested nor charged with a crime. They also say video evidence shows KIinghoffer was looking at his cell phone seconds before the collision.
Klinghoffer, 44, played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for 12 years, from 2007 to 2019. He is now on tour with Pearl Jam.
According to the complaint, after the crash Klinghoffer “went off on tour with his band … He has never contacted the family. He has shown no remorse for his behavior.”
His attorney, Andrew Brettler of the West Hollywood firm Berk Brettler LLP, could not be reached for comment, but he told the news site TMZ: “After Josh struck this pedestrian in the intersection, he immediately pulled over, stopped the car, called 911 and waited until police and the ambulance arrived. Obviously, he’s cooperating with the police throughout the traffic investigation. This was purely a tragic accident.”
Israel Sanchez’s daughter Ashley Sanchez filed the lawsuit in LA Superior Court.
“My dad was known for being a great chef, the most talented of his family, the greatest grandpa always full of love and joy," she said in a written statement. “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.”
Her attorney Nick Rowley said Klinghoffer should be charged with homicide.
“Israel Sanchez was on his way to the grocery store to make soup for his family and never came home,” Rowley said in a written statement. “He did everything right, looking for oncoming traffic and abiding by pedestrian signage, but tragically Mr. Klinghoffer, in a rush and on his phone, hit him fatally from behind with a large SUV. The loss and grief that the Sanchez family now faces is immense.”
Last year, 176 pedestrians were killed by cars in Los Angeles — significantly more than in New York City, which has a higher population. It is a number that has risen steadily over the years, and is double the number of pedestrian fatalities in 2015, according to the website Crosstown LA.
Former LAPD Chief Michael Moore addressed the growing numbers at a Police Commission meeting in January.
“The increase in pedestrian deaths has actually been a phenomenon that has been going on year after year,” he said. “I believe much of it has to do with distracted driving, high-speed driving.”
LA prosecutors have made a point of prosecuting drivers who kill pedestrians. Earlier this year, Rebecca Grossman was convicted of murder for hitting and killing two little boys with her SUV in the west San Fernando Valley. Last month, she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
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