Witness describes heart-wrenching scene as UK socialite Rebecca Grossman faces trial in LA

In a dramatic trial captivating Los Angeles, wealthy UK socialite Rebecca Grossman faces charges of second-degree murder for a heartbreaking hit-and-run incident that claimed the lives of two young boys. The trial, unfolding in Los Angeles, reveals shocking details as the witness, Jack Sands, recounts the horrifying scene.

Sands, visibly emotional during his court testimony, vividly described the terrifying incident he witnessed in September 2020. The victims, eight-year-old Jacob Iskander and his 11-year-old brother Mark, were fatally struck by Grossman’s speeding Mercedes. Grossman, 60, stands accused of the tragedy that occurred after what is claimed to be a boozy lunch with her former LA Dodgers star lover, Scott Erickson.

The UK socialite’s white Mercedes allegedly struck the two brothers as Sands, a passenger in another vehicle, observed the heart-wrenching event. Sands painted a picture of the two vehicles, Grossman’s Mercedes and a black SUV driven by Erickson, in close proximity. Despite the black car’s attempt to avoid the children, Grossman’s speeding vehicle struck one of the boys, sending him airborne.

Sands poignantly shared, “The black car tried to avoid the kids by moving out of the way. But the white car was just a few feet behind – I could see the white car hit one of the boys. I saw him go airborne to the right side of the road.”

Nancy Iskander, the grief-stricken mother of the victims, left the courtroom in tears when prosecutors presented a graphic photo of her 11-year-old son Mark’s lifeless body. Sands claimed that neither vehicle stopped at the scene after the tragic incident in Westlake Village, California.

The trial also saw conflicting accounts from witnesses, adding to the courtroom drama. When questioned about Grossman’s return to the crash scene, Sands responded negatively. Lead defence attorney Tony Buzbee attempted to challenge Sands’ account with a photograph of the road, but Sands stood by his testimony, asserting that he witnessed Grossman’s involvement in the tragic event.

Confusion arose when Sands’ friend, Yasmin Eftekhari, who was driving the car he was in, provided a conflicting account. Despite differences in their descriptions of the vehicles’ positions and the sequence of events, both witnesses agreed that the white car hit one of the boys.

Rebecca Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, staunchly denies hitting the boys or driving at 81mph. The trial commenced with a heated dispute between prosecutors and the defence, with allegations of a boozy lunch preceding the fatal hit-and-run. The defence contends that Erickson, driving a separate vehicle after lunch, bears responsibility for the incident, suggesting the pair may have been racing each other.

Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, is married to burns surgeon Dr Peter Grossman. She and Erickson were reportedly heading to a Westlake Village apartment when the tragedy unfolded. Erickson, now 55, faced a misdemeanour charge, which was resolved in February 2022 with a judge ordering him to make a public service announcement about safe driving for high school students.

Erickson’s baseball career included playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005, concluding with the New York Yankees in 2006. Despite being divorced, Erickson remains entangled in the trial’s narrative. Grossman’s murder charges, without a charge of driving under the influence, raise eyebrows. Her breathalyser test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.076 percent, slightly below California’s legal limit of 0.08 percent. A blood sample taken three hours after the crash registered at the 0.08 percent mark.