Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist accepts plea deal in fatal California collision

Musician Josh Klinghoffer who has performed with Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers accepted a plea deal on Wednesday May to avoid jail time in connection with a fatal pedestrian collision in Alhambra last March the Los Angeles County District Attorney s Office reported Klinghoffer was sentenced to one year of informal probation and days of neighborhood labor after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence DA spokeswoman Pamela Johnson disclosed He was also ordered to complete a driver safety lesson and pay restitution A progress and restitution hearing is scheduled for Aug RELATED Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist sued for alleged wrongful death of California man On March Israel Sanchez was walking to a grocery store when he entered a protected crosswalk at Main Street and Meridian Avenue and was struck by Klinghoffer s SUV agents revealed Related Articles Donald Trump pardons reality TV stars sentenced for fraud tax evasion California lawmakers narrow Jay Leno bill to end smog checks for vehicles years and older Rick Derringer dies at musician who had a hit with Hang On Sloopy also produced songs for Weird Al Yankovic Mary Lou Retton s DUI arrest follows disagreement over fitness situation Phil Robertson dies at Duck Dynasty patriarch was a conservative cultural icon Sanchez fell to the ground and was dragged a short distance before the motorcycle came to a stop according to video footage provided by the family s attorney He later died at the hospital Klinghoffer remained at the scene and was not taken into custody at the time In July the victim s daughter Ashley Sanchez filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the musician alleging Klinghoffer had been using his phone while driving and that the SUV lacked a license plate at the time of the crash Klinghoffer s attorney in the civil occurrence Andrew B Brettler declared in a previous report that Klinghoffer straightaway pulled over stopped the automobile called and waited until police and the ambulance arrived He initially pleaded not guilty to the charge