Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer sued for wrongful death of pedestrian

Josh Klinghoffer is currently on tour with the band Pearl Jam. He was guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a decade from 2009 to 2019 and has also been part of rock band Jane's Addiction.

Now court papers say he killed a man who was crossing the road to go to the shop. They detail the incident - blaming Klinghoffer - and a recording of the fatal crash has also been shared online by TMZ. He is being sued for wrongful death of a pedestrian.

The legal documents state that the victim suffered an injury to his head and was taken to hospital but died a few hours later. There is video footage of the crash which shows the driver holding something just above the top of the steering wheel. The lawsuit alleges that Klinghoffer was on his mobile phone while driving at the time. It also highlights a grass area which it says should have given the driver time to see any pedestrians using the crosswalk.

It is believed that nobody was arrested following the collision. 

Alhambra police refused to comment on the case and said it was still active. 

Klinghoffer’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, said in a statement to American TV channel MBC that the incident had been a “tragic accident”. He said: “After the car struck the pedestrian, Josh immediately pulled over, stopped the vehicle, called 911, and waited until police and the ambulance arrived. He is fully cooperating with the traffic investigation.”

Ashley Sanchez said in a statement: “My dad was known for being a great chef, the most talented of his family, the greatest grandpa always full of love and joy. 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.”