No jail time for rock guitarist previously charged with vehicular manslaughter
Josh Klinghoffer, ex-guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has accepted a no-jail plea deal to resolve allegations that he fatally struck a pedestrian with his SUV last year.
The musician pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence when he appeared in a California courtroom Wednesday, May 28, Rolling Stone reported.
Klinghoffer, 45, was sentenced to one year of informal probation and 60 days of community labor, according to the outlet. The guitarist must also take a driver safety class and pay restitution — an amount that will be determined at a later date
'If you continue to drive while distracted, and as a result of your driving someone is killed, you can be charged with murder,' a prosecutor told Klinghoffer, per Rolling Stone.
Klinghoffer — who has also toured with Pearl Jam and Jane's Addiction — was driving his black GMC Yukon in Alhambra, California when he struck 47-year-old Israel Sanchez in a crosswalk on March 18, 2024.
Sanchez died from his injuries a few hours later at the hospital. His cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Sanchez' family sued Klinghoffer for wrongful death last July, alleging he was on his phone and 'was likely driving while distracted' and 'made no braking or slowing motion until after he fatally struck' the 47-year-old father, according to Rolling Stone. The ongoing civil case has a hearing scheduled for July 1.
The musician was later charged with vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to California law. Convicted individuals can also face probation and be forced to pay restitution to the victim's family.
Klinghoffer previously pleaded not guilty to the charge.
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