A Southern California socialite, Rebecca Grossman, has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the hit-and-run deaths of two young brothers in a crosswalk over three years ago.
The sentencing was handed down on Monday, June 10, 2024.
Grossman, the wife of a prominent Los Angeles burn doctor, was found guilty of fatally striking 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother Jacob while speeding.
The tragic incident occurred on the evening of September 29, 2020, in Westlake Village, located on the western edge of Los Angeles County.
In February, a Los Angeles jury convicted Grossman on all counts, including two felony counts each of second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter, and one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.
Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino sentenced Grossman to two concurrent 15-years-to-life terms for the murders, with an additional three-year sentence for fleeing the scene.
This three-year sentence will run concurrently with the other two sentences, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Judge Brandolino described Grossman’s actions as “reckless and unquestionably negligent.”
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence from the data recorder in Grossman’s white Mercedes, revealing she was driving at speeds up to 81 mph (130 kph) and had tapped her brakes, slowing to 73 mph (117 kph), less than two seconds before the collision that deployed her airbags.
Grossman’s sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of reckless driving and the importance of accountability in such tragic incidents.
