Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer of Pearl Jam faces charges of vehicular manslaughter

Josh Klinghoffer, the current touring guitarist for Pearl Jam and the former guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers, is scheduled to appear in court in California on a misdemeanour charge of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. The incident that led to Klinghoffer’s charge occurred on March 18th, 2024, when he struck Israel Sanchez, a 47-year-old pedestrian who was crossing the street at the time of the collision. After being brought to a nearby hospital, Sanchez was declared deceased. TMZ was previously informed by the guitarist’s lawyer, Andrew Brettler, that Klinghoffer was assisting the police. The family of Sanchez filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against Klinghoffer in July. 

This was a tragic accident. After Josh struck the pedestrian in the intersection, he immediately pulled over, called 911, and remained at the scene until police and paramedics arrived. He has fully cooperated with authorities throughout the investigation. Andrew Brettler