SouthernWorldwide.com – A jury has awarded $176 million to the family of two young children tragically killed in Los Angeles.
The children, Mark and Jacob Iskander, aged 11 and 8, lost their lives after being struck by a vehicle driven by Rebecca Grossman. Grossman, the estranged wife of prominent surgeon Dr. Peter Grossman, was found guilty of second-degree murder.
The fatal incident occurred in September 2020, when Grossman’s vehicle collided with the boys while they were walking. Reports indicate the car was traveling at nearly 80 mph at the time of the impact.
At the time of the crash, Grossman was reportedly racing her then-boyfriend, former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson, back from a restaurant. Both individuals were allegedly driving Mercedes-Benz SUVs at speeds exceeding 70 mph.
Grossman was also found to have fled the scene of the accident, compounding the severity of the charges.
The jury determined that both Grossman and Erickson were negligent in connection with the crash that led to the boys’ deaths.
The two young brothers were walking with their youngest sibling and their mother, both of whom narrowly avoided being hit by the speeding vehicles.
The boys’ mother recounted the harrowing moments, stating she managed to grab her youngest son and pull him out of the path of Erickson’s car.
Scott Erickson, a former professional baseball player, had a notable career in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 389 games, starting 364 of them, and maintained a career ERA of 4.59 with a record of 142 wins and 136 losses.
Erickson played for several teams during his MLB tenure, including the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees.
He gained significant recognition with the Minnesota Twins, notably being part of the team that won the World Series in 1991. In that same season, Erickson finished second in the Cy Young Award voting, narrowly missing the award to Roger Clemens.
Erickson spent six seasons with the Twins and seven seasons with the Orioles, with shorter stints with other franchises.
In 2024, Rebecca Grossman was sentenced to a prison term of 15 years to life for her role in the deaths of the Iskander boys.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino presided over the sentencing. He denied a request from prosecutors for a harsher sentence of 34 years to life, deeming it “just not warranted here.”
According to Fox Los Angeles, the judge acknowledged the “unimaginable loss” suffered by the children’s family. However, he also considered Grossman’s lack of a prior criminal record and her history of philanthropic work.
