Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, a former Red Hot Chili Peppers member who also has played with Pearl Jam, pleaded not guilty through his attorney Thursday to a misdemeanor manslaughter charge in the death of a pedestrian.
Authorities say Klinghoffer, 44, was driving an SUV and making a left turn in Alhambra, California, just east of Los Angeles on March 18 when he hit 47-year-old Israel Sanchez, who was walking in a crosswalk. Sanchez was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Klinghoffer was charged on Aug. 29 with vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, a misdemeanor that can bring a maximum of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. He is not charged with having any violent intent, only with a failure to yield.
His lawyer, Blair Berk, entered the plea for him in an Alhambra courtroom. Berk declined to comment after the hearing.
Sanchez’s daughter filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against Klinghoffer in July. The lawsuit…
