LOS ANGELES – Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is being sued for wrongful death and negligence after allegedly running over and killing a pedestrian earlier this year.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Ashley Sanchez, the daughter of 47-year-old Israel Sanchez, who died after being struck while walking in a crosswalk in Alhambra, east of Los Angeles.
The collision happened on the afternoon of March 18, when the plaintiffs allege Klinghoffer was driving a black SUV with no license plates and turned left at an intersection with a marked crosswalk.
The plaintiffs’ video shows a black car running over a man, who turned out to be Israel Sanchez, during a curve before pulling over. The footage was obtained from a neighbor’s Ring camera. Israel Sanchez suffered blunt force trauma to the head and died from his injuries a few hours later at the hospital, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also alleges that Klinghoffer was using a cellphone while driving, as video shows the driver holding an object above the steering wheel. The video also shows a 40-foot-wide grassy median dividing the road, which should have given Klinghoffer time to see pedestrians in the crosswalk, the suit said.
“My father was known for being a great chef, the most talented in his family, the best grandfather, always full of love and joy,” Ashley Sanchez said in a press release. “His smile was so infectious. His life was taken by a careless act by a person who didn’t bother to look where he was driving.”
Klinghoffer is currently on tour with the band Pearl Jam. He could not be reached for comment.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Nick Rowley, called the incident a “reckless homicide” that authorities failed to properly investigate.
“They never charged the guy or even fined him for going through a crosswalk and killing someone,” Rowley said. “This is a horrible injustice.”
Alhambra police spokesman Sgt. Brian Chung said the case was still active and he could not comment further.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
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