Drunk Woman Unaware She Had Just Killed Two Children

On September 29, 2020, 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother, Jacob, were crossing a marked crosswalk with their family in Westlake Village, California. A white Mercedes SUV driven by Rebecca Grossman struck the boys. Prosecutors later presented evidence that the vehicle had been traveling at extremely high speed before the collision.

The bodycam footage from the aftermath shows a very different scene: a woman sitting in the back of a police vehicle while officers begin investigating what had happened.

The Driver Says She Hit Something

After the collision, Grossman was found approximately a third of a mile from the crosswalk with significant damage to her Mercedes. The vehicle's airbags had deployed, and she told a deputy that the car had been disabled by Mercedes and that she had hit something, but did not know what it was.

That detail became one of the most disturbing parts of the investigation. At the time officers first encountered her, she had not yet been told the full extent of what had happened.

The crash scene itself provided investigators with evidence of a severe impact. Police found debris consistent with the white Mercedes, while the vehicle had sustained major front-end damage.

Officers Begin a DUI Investigation

A deputy noticed an odor of alcohol and signs that prompted a driving-under-the-influence investigation. Grossman was questioned about her health, medications, and alcohol consumption before officers conducted field sobriety testing.

She told investigators that she had consumed a margarita earlier that evening. Prosecutors later argued that alcohol consumption, extreme speed, and the circumstances surrounding the collision demonstrated a serious disregard for safety.

The footage captures the tense period when officers are gathering information without immediately revealing everything they know about the crash.

The Horrifying Reality Behind the Investigation

While Grossman was being questioned, investigators were dealing with the devastating consequences of the collision.

Mark and Jacob had been walking with their family when they were struck. Witnesses described vehicles approaching the crosswalk at very high speeds. Prosecutors presented evidence that Grossman's Mercedes reached approximately 81 mph and was traveling about 73 mph at the moment of impact in a 45-mph zone.

The boys did not survive. Their deaths transformed what initially appeared to be a traffic collision into a major criminal investigation.

The Bodycam Captures a Critical Moment

One of the most striking aspects of the footage is the apparent disconnect between the woman being questioned and the tragedy investigators were trying to reconstruct.

She asks questions about what is happening while officers continue their investigation. The bodycam provides a record of her interaction with deputies, including the DUI investigation that followed the crash.

Eventually, officers placed Grossman under arrest for driving under the influence and causing a fatal traffic collision. Court records later documented the investigation in considerable detail, including the officers' observations of her behavior and the testing performed that night.

The Case Goes to Trial

The investigation eventually led to murder, vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run charges. Grossman's defense disputed aspects of the prosecution's account, including arguments concerning another vehicle that was present around the time of the collision. Witness testimony and physical evidence were examined extensively during the trial.

In February 2024, a jury convicted Grossman of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and hit-and-run driving resulting in death. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

The Conviction Was Later Upheld

The case did not end with the original verdict. In March 2026, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced that a California appellate court had upheld Grossman's murder convictions. She remains in state prison serving her sentence.

The bodycam footage therefore captures only a small part of a much larger story. What viewers see is an officer questioning a woman after a devastating crash, while investigators work to determine exactly what happened.

Behind that seemingly routine police interaction were the deaths of two children, an investigation into impaired and dangerously fast driving, and a case that ultimately resulted in a murder conviction.