(RepublicanView.org) – Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is being sued for allegedly killing a pedestrian at a crosswalk in Los Angeles in March. Israel Sanchez died in the incident when Klinghoffer’s vehicle, according to the lawsuit, dragged him along a street, causing severe head trauma. Video footage shows him crossing the street as a black SUV takes a left turn toward him and collides. The lawsuit, filed by Sanchez’s family, claims Klinghoffer did not apply his brakes because he was distracted. The family claims to have evidence proving this.
LA police did not make any arrests over the incident, and Klinghoffer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, described it as a “tragic accident.” He insisted that his client immediately pulled over after hitting Sanchez, called 911, and waited until police and paramedic services arrived. “He is fully cooperating with the traffic investigation,” Brettler added.
The plaintiffs insist, however, that Klinghoffer was on his phone while driving, evidenced by video footage showing him holding a small object when the crash occurred. They also argued that a 40-foot-wide median that divided the road should have given the driver enough time to see a pedestrian, and he would have done so had he been paying sufficient attention to his surroundings.
Klinghoffer, who performed with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers from 2007 to 2019, is reportedly touring with Pearl Jam, prompting Sanchez’s family to accuse him of lacking remorse. “He went off on tour with his band” and “has never contacted the family,” the lawsuit claims. Additionally, it states that the guitarist was driving a car without license plates when the collision occurred.
The victim’s daughter, Ashley Sanchez, who filed the suit, paid tribute to her father and described him in a news release as the most talented chef in the family, the greatest grandpa, and a man always filled with “love and joy.” She added that his life was taken by someone who “didn’t bother to look” where he was going.
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