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The family of two Los Angeles children killed by a city councilor was awarded $176 million by a jury.
Rebecca Grossman, the estranged wife of prominent Dr. Peter Grossman, was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the deaths of Mark and Jacob Iskander, 11 and 8, respectively, after hitting them with his vehicle at nearly 80 mph in September 2020.
Grossman had prescription drugs and alcohol in his system at the time of the 2020 crash, prosecutors told Pakinomist Digital.
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Rebecca Grossman walks with her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, and their daughter to the Van Nuys Courthouse in Van Nuys, California. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Although she was married to a prominent Los Angeles surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman, she was racing her boyfriend, former MLB pitcher Scott Erickson, home from a restaurant. Each drove Mercedes-Benz SUVs over 70 mph, and Grossman fled the scene.
Both were found negligent in the accident.
The boys walked with their youngest brother and mother, who both escaped the crash. The mother said she grabbed the youngest son and ducked out of the way of Erickson’s car.
Rebecca Grossman, wearing a burgundy blazer, walks into the Van Nuys Courthouse in West Van Nuys, California, accompanied by her daughter. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Erickson started 364 of his 389 games, pitching to a 4.59 ERA with a 142-136 record. He pitched for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
Erickson made a name for himself with the Twins, winning the World Series with them in 1991 and finishing second in the Cy Young Award voting that season, which was not Roger Clemens. Erickson spent six seasons with the Twins and seven with the O’s before shortened stints with the others.
Grossman was sentenced in 2024 to 15 years to life.
Scott Erickson pitches for the Minnesota Twins against the Oakland Athletics during a Major League Baseball game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California, circa 1991. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino rejected a request by prosecutors that Grossman be sentenced to 34 years to life, saying such a long term “is just not warranted here.” Fox Los Angeles reported. He said the children’s deaths were an “unimaginable loss,” but noted Grossman’s lack of a criminal record and philanthropic history.
