Civil Trial Continues in Westlake Village Crash that Took a Life in 2020
Civil Trial Continues for Grossman Burn Foundation Co-Founder Following Fatal Crash
In a significant legal proceeding, witness testimony resumed on Friday in the civil wrongful death trial involving Rebecca Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, and former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson. The case centers on a tragic 2020 crash that claimed the lives of two young brothers, Mark and Jacob Iskander, ages 11 and 8.
The lawsuit is rooted in the events of September 29, 2020, when Grossman was convicted in February 2024 on multiple counts, including second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, as well as hit-and-run driving. She received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison, facing a maximum potential sentence of 34 years.
Throughout the civil trial, testimony has come from various sources, including experts in crash investigations and witnesses to the incident.
Grossman’s attorney, Esther Holm, argued during her opening statement that Grossman did not see the brothers in the crosswalk and did not attempt to flee the crash site following the incident. Meanwhile, Grossman has sought to appeal her criminal conviction, but a state appeals court panel rejected her efforts earlier this year, challenging the court’s instructions, evidence, and standards related to implied malice.
In this civil suit, the boys’ parents, Nancy and Karim Iskander, are seeking to establish liability and damages attributed to Grossman and Erickson. Prosecutors in the criminal trial had previously contended that Grossman, along with her then-boyfriend Erickson, had been drinking earlier that evening. The pair were returning to her home in separate vehicles when Grossman’s white Mercedes-Benz SUV struck the boys, who were crossing Triunfo Canyon Road in a marked crosswalk.
At the time of the crash, six family members were crossing the intersection, which lacks a stoplight. Prosecutors claimed Grossman was driving at 81 mph in a 45-mph zone just moments before the collision. Following the incident, she reportedly continued driving until her vehicle stopped about a quarter-mile away from the crash site.
Defense attorneys argued that it was Erickson who first hit the boys with his black SUV; however, he was not called to testify during the trial.
At her sentencing hearing, Grossman expressed deep remorse, stating, "I want the boys’ family to know how sorry I am," emphasizing that she did not see the boys in the street. She added, "God knows that I never saw anybody. I never saw anyone. I believe he knows the truth." Grossman concluded, "I will carry this with me until my dying breath."
