Rebecca Grossman: Married, drunk LA socialite was allegedly 'racing' ex-MLB player lover before killing brothers in 'insane' crash

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIFORNIA: The jury selection for the trial of Rebecca Grossman began on Tuesday, January 16, with prosecutors claiming that the married Los Angeles socialite was engaged in a "race" with her MLB player lover Scott Erickson after a day of drinking at a boozy lunch during the fatal crash. 

Rebecca Grossman, 60, faces charges of second-degree murder in connection with the apparent crash that claimed the lives of Jacob Iskander, eight, and his brother Mark Iskander, 11, on September 29, 2020, as per Mirror.

Other charges against her include vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit-and-run driving resulting in death.

Prosecutors allowed to prove the alleged affair between Rebecca Grossman and Scott Erickson

During her trial session on Tuesday, January 16, Rebecca, who is married to plastic surgeon Dr Peter Grossman, maintained that she did not strike the boys and denied driving at 81 mph.

Prosecutors noted that her alleged lover, Erickson, 55, was reportedly driving a separate SUV following their lunch at Julio's in Westlake Village. 

The ex-LA Dodgers star faced a misdemeanor charge, and his case was wrapped up in February 2022 with a judge ordering him to create a public service announcement about safe driving for high school students.

Notably, Rebecca's murder charges are unconventional as there is no charge of driving under the influence as her breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.076 percent, slightly below California's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

However, a blood sample taken three hours after the crash supposedly read 0.08%, as per the New York Post. 

Prosecutor Jaime Castro mentioned that they hadn't initially planned to disclose Rebecca's affair with Erickson, but it became relevant because "the defence intends to argue that the black car involved is not Erickson's."

This comes after LA County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino ruled that the court will be allowed to prove to jurors that the socialite was in fact having an affair with Erickson 

The prosecutors also want to argue that the socialite was under the influence of Valium while she was driving on the fateful day.  

Castro further noted, "The people intend to put forth evidence that it was, in fact, Erickson. We're not looking to get into any salacious information."

What did the victims' mother say?

Nancy Iskander, the mother of the boys who died in the crash, claimed that she couldn't discern which of the two vehicles struck her sons.

She explained that she and Jacob were on inline skates, crossing the road at the crosswalk, while Mark was on his skateboard. Meanwhile, her youngest son, Zachary, then five, was on his scooter, with her husband and daughter jogging nearby. 

While Mark was declared dead at the scene, Jacob succumbed to his injuries hours later at the hospital.

Regarding the speed, she remarked, "The speed was insane. They were zigzagging with each other as if they were playing or racing. They didn't stop before the intersection. They didn't stop at the intersection. They didn't stop when an 11-year-old was on the hood of the car. Nobody stopped."

What critical details will be presented to the jurors about the tragic crash?

The jury is anticipated to receive testimony from a California Highway Patrol officer who previously pulled over Rebecca for speeding at 92 mph, cautioning her about the potential danger.

Additionally, the court may hear from Robert Apodaca, a former LA County Sheriff's Deputy specializing in traffic crashes.

During the preliminary hearing, he testified that he estimated Rebecca was driving at 71.7 mph when the collision with the boys occurred, with the car's computer indicating 73 mph, as per The LA Times.

He even disclosed that 11-year-old Mark was thrown 254 feet — the farthest he has observed a human being tossed in a crash. Another deputy, Rafael Mejia, testified that he found Rebecca a third of a mile away from the crash site.

She had pulled over, expressing confusion about why her airbag had been triggered.

Rebecca, who was released on a $2 million bond, is expected to have a trial lasting six weeks. If convicted on all charges, she could potentially face up to 34 years in prison.