In 2020, a socialite from California was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after she fatally struck two children while driving through a crosswalk.
In February, Rebecca Grossman, the spouse of a renowned burn doctor in Los Angeles, was found guilty of the hit-and-run incident that led to the deaths of two young boys, Mark Iskander, aged 11, and his brother Jacob, aged 8. During the sentencing hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino stated that Grossman’s actions were “reckless and undoubtedly negligent.”
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According to the Los Angeles Times, the philanthropist was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, and a felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. She was sentenced by Brandolino to serve two concurrent 15-to-life sentences, as well as another concurrent three-year sentence for fleeing the scene of the crash.
During the sentencing, Grossman expressed that she did not see anyone during the fatal collision. She further revealed that she would have preferred to drive into a brick wall and did not understand why she was spared. Grossman also shared that she had gone into a state of denial after the crash.
As she addressed the mother of the victims, Nancy Iskander, Grossman couldn’t hold back her tears and expressed, “My pain is just a small part of your pain.” According to the Times, Nancy Iskander referred to Grossman as a coward during the hearing.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Grossman was accused by prosecutors of shirking responsibility for the boys’ deaths. Additionally, she was accused of attempting to sway the case in her favor, with hopes of securing a new trial after her conviction.
During the trial, the prosecution provided evidence indicating that Grossman had been driving at a speed of up to 81 mph before colliding with the children who were crossing the road. According to the data, she reduced her speed to 73 mph less than two seconds before hitting the children. Shockingly, she kept driving for half a mile even after the fatal collision.
During her testimony, Nancy Iskander recounted how she entered the crosswalk with her two older children slightly behind her, and her youngest son by her side. As she saw and heard two vehicles speeding towards them, she quickly grabbed her 5-year-old boy and dove to safety.
During the court proceedings, the mother recounted how she left her youngest son on the curb and searched for her other boys, as reported by KABC-TV. She discovered Jacob first, who was unconscious but still breathing, which gave her some hope that he would make it. However, upon finding Mark, she knew right away that he had passed away.
According to prosecutors, Grossman had been drinking with her former boyfriend, Scott Erickson, who is a former Dodgers pitcher, earlier in the day. She was driving behind him at the time of the accident.
According to KCAL-TV, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould informed jurors that the defense attorneys’ claim of Erickson’s SUV hitting the children first was a “ridiculous theory” and lacked any evidence.
