STUDIO CITY—George Ronald Nicoletti, 55, who killed Robert Meurer, 65, in a hit-and-run accident was sentenced on Monday, December 10 to three years of formal probation.
Nicoletti previously pled no contest to the hit-and-run on September 23, 2016 that resulted in Meurer’s death. He was also been sentenced to complete 18 months of mental health counseling as part of negotiations set by prosecutors.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Meurer was hit by Nicoletti around 7:25 p.m. while crossing the 12000 block of Moorpark Street near Laurel Canyon Boulevard. He died at a local hospital the following day from injuries he sustained.
The LAPD released a photo of Nicoletti and his car, described as a tan, four-door Saturn Ion with the California license plate 6HAY595. Approximately two and a half weeks later, the LAPD located and arrested Nicoletti.
Meurer was a singer-songwriter and an educator in Los Angeles. He was the longtime friend and musical collaborator to Christopher Cross. Meurer was credited by Cross to have been a vital part of his album, “Christopher Cross.” He played keyboards and synthesizer and worked with making the arrangements on the album. The album went on to win five Grammys.
On his website, Christopher Cross wrote:
“To try and explain how I feel, or to try to imagine how his wife Beth and daughter Anne feel at this moment is impossible, but I felt I wanted to share with you the tremendous love and respect I had for this man.”
“He was quite simply the smartest guy I ever knew, funny, kind, devoted to his family and friends, and talented beyond measure. Not just with the work he and I did, but his own solo work, and his musical theater projects. His love of the craft was as deep as anyone I’ve ever known,” Cross wrote.
