A California socialite, Rebecca Grossman, was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison for fatally striking two young brothers with her car on September 29, 2020. The incident occurred in Westlake Village, where Grossman was driving her white Mercedes SUV at 73 mph in a 45-mph zone and hit Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8, at a crosswalk. The boys' mother was also present during the accident. After the crash, Grossman didn't stop the vehicle until the Mercedes' crash safety features cut off the fuel. Mark likely died within minutes if not seconds after the crash.
Rebecca Grossman is a well-known philanthropist and co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, which supports burn victims around the world. However, her actions on that day showed a complete disregard for human life, as she continued driving after the crash and eventually stopped about a quarter-mile away. Grossman was convicted by a jury in February on two counts of murder, vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence in the deaths of Mark Iskander and Jacob Iskander, and an additional count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
Prosecutors had pushed for the maximum sentence of 34 years to life. However, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón expressed his disappointment with the outcome, stating that Grossman showed a narcissistic superiority and displayed no remorse or acceptance of responsibility for the crash. The data recorder in Grossman's Mercedes SUV showed that she accelerated to 81 mph just seconds before the crash, with her foot pressed to the floor. Investigator Michael Hale testified that her SUV struck the boys with a force equivalent to the vehicle being dropped on them from a 12-story height.
Grossman had no previous convictions, but she had several driving offenses dating back to the early 2000s. During the trial, it was alleged that she drank at least two margaritas and took Valium earlier that day, impairing her mental capacity and physical reactions. Multiple witnesses testified that she drove erratically and at excessive speeds before the crash, including allegedly swerving into the bicycle lane in an attempt to pass a car.
The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their family and our community. Grossman's blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the grave consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel.