Just after 7 p.m. on a September evening, Jacob and Mark Iskander, their siblings, and parents went for an evening stroll to a nearby lake. The six-member family was crossing in a crosswalk at a three-way intersection when mother Nancy heard a speeding car coming their way.
She says her husband and daughter were farther from the street. She tried to signal to two approaching SUVs to slow down. She managed to grab one of her children and dive out of the way, but Jacob and Mark were hit. Mark Iskander died at the scene, and Jacob died later at the hospital. According to police, Mark was thrown 254 feet.
Nancy Iskander told police that two SUVs were "zig-zagging with each other as if they were playing or racing." She said the drivers didn’t stop at the intersection, not even when the 11-year-old was on the hood of the car. Deputies reportedly caught up with a white Mercedes with significant front-end damage a third of a mile from the scene.
Behind the wheel was Rebecca Grossman. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department believes the vehicle was traveling over 80 miles an hour. Grossman’s breathalyzer test after the crash showed a blood alcohol content of 0.076%, according to local news reports.
The legal limit in California is 0.08%. A blood sample taken three hours after the crash registered at 0.08%
Grossman was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison. She is facing a wrongful death civil suit, now in it's sixth week.
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
- Matthew Mangino – Attorney, Former District Attorney (Lawrence County); Author: “The Executioner’s Toll: The Crimes, Arrests, Trials, Appeals, Last Meals, Final Words and Executions of 46 Persons in the United States;” X: @MatthewTMangino
- Caryn L. Stark – Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych/FB: Caryn Stark Private PracticeRobert Crispin – Private Investigator, Former Federal Task Force Officer for United States Department of Justice, DEA and Miami Field Division, Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator, “Crispin Special Investigations” CrispinInvestigations.com, Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations, Inc
- JoScott Morgan – Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, “Blood Beneath My Feet,” and Host: “Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;” X: @JoScottForensic
- Joseph Tremblay – Senior Forensic Engineer and Accident Reconstructionist, Veritech Consulting Engineering
- Stacey D. Stewart – CEO of Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD); Twitter: @maddnational
- Eamon Murphy – Writer for ‘The Acorn’ Newspaper in California; X: @EamonPMurphy
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