Rebecca Grossman, convicted of killing two younger brothers in a high-speed collision, continues to disclaim accountability almost six years after the incident, a jury was instructed on Friday.
Her former accomplice, ex-professional baseball participant Scott Erickson, additionally avoids duty for the deadly crash that occurred throughout an alleged race at a pedestrian crossing in Westlake Village, close to Los Angeles, in September 2020. This was highlighted by Brian Panish, the lawyer representing Nancy and Karim Iskander, the mother and father of the deceased boys, Mark, aged 11, and Jacob, aged 8.
“Even now, they refuse to just accept blame,” Panish emphasised throughout his opening assertion on the civil wrongful loss of life trial towards Grossman, 64, and Erickson, 58. “Miss Grossman won’t ever acknowledge it.”
In keeping with Panish, Grossman has shifted the blame onto the boys’ mother and father and has labeled the crosswalk the place the tragedy occurred as being at a “hazardous intersection.”
“She’s blaming the mother and father—actually?” Panish remarked incredulously to the jury, composed of eight ladies and 4 males. “It’s simply an try to evade duty. She refuses to come clean with her actions—and she or he gained’t be current in courtroom to take action.”
Following her conviction at a legal trial in February 2024, Grossman is serving a sentence of 15 years to life for 2 counts of second-degree homicide, vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run.
Her authorized workforce at her homicide trial pushed a protection technique that blamed the lethal crash on Erickson, who was driving his black Mercedes simply forward of Grossman – and racing her, in keeping with Panish – after the 2 had earlier shared cocktails.
Convicted baby killer Rebecca Grossman, seen arriving for courtroom in 2024, continues to refuse to take blame for the tragic pileup that killed two younger brothers almost six years in the past, a courtroom heard
Nancy and Karim Iskander, mother and father of the boys killed within the crash, arrive at Van Nuys Civil Court docket on Friday
Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, have been crossing a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village with their household once they have been fatally struck by Grossman’s Mercedes
However the 6ft 4in ex-ballplayer – who didn’t present his face at Grossman’s 6-week legal trial, and was once more a no-show on Friday – was solely given a slap-on-the-wrist misdemeanor reckless driving cost that was dismissed after he made a public service announcement to highschool college students concerning the significance of protected driving.
Regardless of the dearth of legal fees towards the previous MLB pitcher, the Iskanders named Erickson of their civil lawsuit alongside her, holding him equally answerable for the deadly crash.
The grieving mother and father – who have been in courtroom Friday – are in search of, within the phrases of Panish, ‘tens and tens and tens of thousands and thousands’ in damages for the lack of their beloved boys.
Erickson – who performed for six MLB groups throughout 16-year baseball profession, profitable the World Collection with the Minnesota Twins in 1991 – vehemently denies any blame within the tragic deaths of the Iskander boys, insisting that Grossman was the one one who brought about the horrific pile-up.
He was having a love affair with then rich socialite when she was separated from her plastic surgeon husband Dr Pete Grossman, who can also be a defendant within the lawsuit because the proprietor of the Mercedes she was driving on the time of the crash.
At Friday’s opening statements after 4 days of jury choice, Nancy Iskander buried her head in her palms as Panish confirmed touching footage of the victims in happier instances, together with a transferring video she had taken of one of many boys at his party.
‘They have been finest buddies, they have been inseparable….they performed collectively….and so they died collectively,’ stated the lawyer.
The household, cooped up throughout covid and anxious for some contemporary air, took a night stroll collectively, with Nancy forward with Mark and Jacob and their 5 year-old brother Zachary and Karim lagging behind with child Violet in a stroller.
The grieving mother and father are in search of ‘tens and tens and tens of thousands and thousands’ in damages for the lack of their beloved boys
Earlier than the tragedy, Grossman had been consuming together with her then-lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Scott Erickson
As she walked over the crosswalk with the boys, ‘Mrs Iskander heard a revving of engines,’ as two Mercedes bore down on them, Panish instructed jurors.
’She grabbed her son Zchary and dove out of the way in which.’
The following factor she noticed was the damaged our bodies of her boys. Mark was thrown 252 ft by the influence, of Grossman’s automobile.
Jacob landed 73 ft away from the place the vehicles struck him, the courtroom heard. Coming throughout the horrifying scene, Karim tried to present mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to certainly one of his dying sons. However it was too late, ‘ stated Panish.
‘He sits down and begins to weep. His lovely household is wiped away by the poor decisions folks made.’
Panish instructed the courtroom that a number of witnesses will testify that Grossman and Erickson have been racing simply earlier than the crash. Grossman’s automobile was clocked at in extra of 80mph within the 45mph restrict, as recorded by the automobile’s on-board pc, he stated. That is undisputed.
That’s 120 ft per second. Had she been touring on the authorized pace restrict, she would have been nearly 600 ft from the boys as they crossed the crosswalk.
‘Mr Erickson could say that he was solely going at 50mph however we’re going to show that’s not true.’
One key witness the Iskanders’ authorized workforce plans to name throughout trial is ex-baseball participant Royce Clayton, a longtime good friend of Erickson.
In video testimony performed for the jury by Panish, Royce stated that in a telephone name simply after the crash, Erickson admitted that he was racing Grossman, who was behind him, that he ‘swerved to keep away from the youngsters’ and that Mrs Grossman ‘hit the kids.’
Grossman’s Mercedes is pictured after the smash. She stored on driving, regardless of the plain injury brought about to the automobile after she struck the boys
The boys’ mom discovered Mark, who was thrown 252 ft by the influence of Grossman’s automobile, and Jacob, who landed 73 ft away from the place the vehicles struck him, the courtroom heard on Friday
‘Mr Erickson will say that’s not true,’ added Panish. ‘However why would a good friend of 30 years make that up?’
He accused each Grossman and Erickson of ‘fleeing the scene of the crash afterward…or no less than attempting to.’ Grossman’s automobile continued on for 1,700 ft after hitting the boys, ‘ he stated, with the automobile solely coming to a cease due to an inbuilt security measure that minimize the engine to forestall fireplace.
‘If it was as much as her she would have gone residence and stated nothing,’ Panish instructed the jury. ’Mr Erickson left the scene, parked his automobile and hid within the bushes for 3 hours watching the scene of the crash.’
Panish performed a video deposition by Grossman’s daughter Alexis – who was 17 on the time of the crash – telling an interviewer that she noticed Erickson the evening of the accident and he was ‘indignant and frantic’ and had the odor of alcohol on his breath.
The Iskanders’ legal professionals declare that each Grossman and Erickson have been ‘impaired’ on the time of the crash, having each been consuming alcohol earlier in day.
Grossman had been consuming with buddies earlier and Erickson was at a bar consuming beer when the 2 met up for margaritas with Royce Clayton at Westlake restaurant Julio’s Agave Grill.
She ‘flunked’ a roadside sobriety take a look at, stated Panish and had a blood alcohol stage that was recorded as .08 – the authorized restrict – three hours after the crash. She additionally had barbiturates in her system, ‘which may improve impairment with alcohol.’
With out saying in open courtroom that Grossman is behind bars for killing the boys, Panish made a degree of emphasizing that she wasn’t within the courtroom Friday.
The Iskanders’ legal professionals declare that each Grossman and Erickson have been ‘impaired’ on the time of the crash, having each been consuming alcohol earlier in day
’She would possibly say that she didn’t know she hit the boys – however she’s not going to be right here to let you know,’ he stated. In her opening assertion, Grossman’s lawyer, Esther Holm instructed jurors that there have been different elements concerned within the crash and there was ‘a rush to judgment’ in figuring out that Rebecca was the only reason behind the accident.’
‘We imagine that Miss Grossman was not driving impaired. And there’s no proof that she was racing.’
Proof will present that Miss Grossman by no means noticed the kids. She didn’t attempt to flee the scene.
‘Her airbag deployed, inflicting an enormous cloud of mud within the automobile so she couldn’t see the kids.’
Holm stated that she believed Grossman was touring ’slower on the time of influence than Mr Erickson’ and that when police requested after the crash to examine his black Mercedes, he produced ‘the flawed one” (Erickson owned two black Mercedes SUVs).
She added that though he noticed the boys within the crosswalk earlier than he drove by way of, ‘he didn’t do something to warn’ Grossman, like flash his lights.
After the crash he went to Grossman’s close by home and returned to the crash scene on foot and ‘stood 10 yards away for 3 hours however by no means figuring out himself to officers.’ Holm instructed the courtroom that on the time of the crash, Grossman was separated from her husband and courting Erickson.
‘This was not some sordid affair happening behind Dr. Grossman’s again. The lawyer cited the very fact that there have been no cease indicators, no road lights and no flashing lights on the crosswalk as an element within the accident and stated that a number of native folks had complained about security issues on the intersection.
Scott Erickson seen arriving to courtroom within the civil case towards Grossman on April 20, 2026
‘However the Metropolis of Westlake Village knew concerning the issues however did nothing about them.’
Addressing jurors in her opening assertion, Erickson’s lawyer, Deborah Tropp stated that her shopper, ‘goes to testify that he was not racing Rebecca Grossman or anyone else.’
She questioned the accuracy of eye witnesses who accused the 2 of dashing and racing, saying that their testimony ‘contradicted’ one another.
‘Mr Erickson believes that he was going 50-55mph,’ she stated, including that when he noticed the boys within the crosswalk, ‘he believed he would have hit them if he braked -so he determined to hurry up and go round them.
‘He regarded again and so they have been nonetheless within the crosswalk unhurt and he not see any headlights behind him…it was darkish.
‘He went again to Grossman’s home close by the place he acquired a telephone name from her by which she stated, “One thing unhealthy occurred,” He stated, “Did you see these children?” She stated, “What children?” And the road went useless.’
Tropp stated that Erickson ran again to the crash scene the place police wouldn’t permit him to get shut.
‘He was not hiding within the bushes.’ Why did he keep for 3 hours? ‘He’ll let you know that he was involved for Miss Grossman,’ continued Tropp.
When he left the crash scene to return to Grossman’s home he discovered her daughter Alexis there, however, the lawyer added that the teenager’s declare that Erickson ‘was drunk and screamed at her’ was not true.
’She has modified hers story no less than two instances,’ stated Tropp. ‘There was no detrimental interplay between Mr Erickson and her that night.’
