Rebecca Grossman, a 60-year-old Los Angeles socialite, and former magazine publisher, walked arm-in-arm with her plastic surgeon husband, Peter Grossman, to the Van Nuys West Courthouse for the commencement of her murder trial. Grossman is accused of killing two young brothers in a drunken hit-and-run, allegedly racing her reported lover, former MLB player Scott Erickson, at the time of the fatal crash.
Rebecca Grossman faces up to 34 years behind bars on two counts of second-degree murder for the 2020 deaths of Jacob Iskander, 8, and Mark Iskander, 11.
The shocking incident occurred on September 29, 2020, when Rebecca, allegedly speeding at 71 mph, plowed into the two boys walking inside a crosswalk in Westlake Village. The collision launched Mark more than 250 feet, leading to his immediate death. Jacob passed away several hours later at the hospital.
Witnesses reported that Grossman was racing with Scott Erickson, who was in another car at the time of the crash. The pair, reportedly in a relationship, had allegedly been drinking at a nearby restaurant prior to the collision.
Prosecutors plan to present evidence that Rebecca had Valium in her system during the crash, further hindering her ability to drive. Despite maintaining innocence and blowing a 0.076%, Grossman faces charges of two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
The court is allowed to provide jurors with evidence of Grossman's alleged love affair with Erickson at the time of the crash, as ruled by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino.
Rebecca Grossman maintains her innocence, denying any involvement in the collision with the boys. However, Nancy Iskander, the grieving mother, contends that both Grossman and Erickson were driving at excessive speeds before the tragic incident occurred. Nancy, who narrowly avoided the collision with her younger son Zachary, expressed frustration that neither party stopped after the incident, making it difficult for her to determine which vehicle struck her sons.
According to Nancy's account, she and Jacob were on inline skates, crossing the road at the crosswalk, while Mark was on his skateboard. Zachary, then five years old, was on his scooter, accompanied by her husband and daughter jogging nearby. Mark was declared dead at the scene, and Jacob succumbed to his injuries hours later at the hospital.
The upcoming trial is expected to feature testimony from a California Highway Patrol officer who had previously pulled over Rebecca for speeding at 92 mph, warning her about the potential dangers. The court may also hear from Robert Apodaca, a former LA County Sheriff's Deputy specializing in traffic crashes.
During the preliminary hearing, Apodaca estimated Rebecca's speed at 71.7 mph at the time of the collision, with the car's computer indicating 73 mph. He revealed that 11-year-old Mark was thrown 254 feet, the farthest he had witnessed a person being tossed in a crash. Another deputy, Rafael Mejia, testified that he found Rebecca a third of a mile away from the crash site, where she had pulled over and expressed confusion about why her airbag had deployed.
Scott Erickson faced a misdemeanor charge, and his case was resolved in February 2022, with his attorney asserting his non-involvement in a hit-and-run. Rebecca Grossman has pleaded not guilty and is currently out on $2 million bond.
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