Ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer Avoids Jail in Vehicular Manslaughter Case

Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer will avoid prison time after striking and killing a man with his car in Los Angeles last year, according to a new report.

In an Alhambra, California, courtroom on Wednesday (May 28), Klinghoffer pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence after hitting the man, 47-year-old Israel Sanchez, with his 2022 GMC Yukon on March 18, 2024, according to Rolling Stone. Sanchez, who was in a crosswalk when he was hit, was pronounced dead at a hospital later that day.

As a result of the no jail plea deal, Klinghoffer was sentenced to one year of informal probation and 60 days of community labor, Rolling Stone reports. Additionally, he must complete a driver safety class and pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date.

After Klinghoffer entered his plea deal, a prosecutor read a statement that warned against distracted driving, according to Rolling Stone: “If you continue to drive while distracted, and as a result of your driving someone is killed, you can be charged with murder.” Klinghoffer then said that he understood.

Also during the hearing, Sanchez’s only daughter, Ashley Sanchez, read a victim impact statement in which she called him “an extraordinary grandfather” whose “absence has left an irreversible void in our lives,” according to Rolling Stone. In addressing Klinghoffer, she said her father’s death had caused her “deep and lasting trauma” and called it an “avoidable loss.”

Klinghoffer still faces a wrongful death lawsuit over the incident. In the complaint, filed by Ashley Sanchez, her attorneys wrote, “Video of the incident shows that defendant Josh Adam Klinghoffer made no braking or slowing motion until after he fatally struck Israel Sanchez, indicating that defendant was likely driving while distracted.” The woman’s lawyers also claimed to have video evidence showing that Klinghoffer was “using a device mere seconds before” he hit Sanchez. The trial in that case is slated to kick off on July 1, according to Rolling Stone.

Representatives for Klinghoffer and Ashley Sanchez did not immediately return requests for comment on Wednesday.

A touring guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the late 2000s, Klinghoffer officially joined the band full-time in 2010 as a replacement for John Frusciante. After working on two studio albums with the group, he was fired in 2019 following Frusciante’s return. He has also served as a touring guitarist for Pearl Jam and released solo material under the name Pluralone.