They raced their cars and took two young lives. Now a jury says they must pay $176 million.

A civil jury found Rebecca Grossman and ex-Dodger Scott Erickson negligent in the 2020 crash that killed Mark and Jacob Iskander.

When you send your children outside to play, you expect the street crossings to be safe. But a street became a racetrack, leaving a family broken and two young boys gone forever.

WHAT HAPPENED

In September 2020, eleven-year-old Mark Iskander and eight-year-old Jacob Iskander were crossing a street in Westlake Village. Rebecca Grossman and former baseball player Scott Erickson were driving nearby.

The two had been drinking before they got behind the wheel. They raced their cars down the road, and Grossman's car hit the two boys in a crosswalk at high speed.

On Wednesday, a civil jury found both Grossman and Erickson negligent in the deaths. The jury awarded the Iskander family $176 million in damages.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

The jury awarded $176 million in total damages to the Iskander family.

• Mark was 11 years old and Jacob was 8 years old when they died.
• The crash occurred in September 2020 in a Westlake Village crosswalk.
• Rebecca Grossman is already serving 15 years to life for murder.
• Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson was also found negligent.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

How do we stop people with money and power from treating public roads like private racetracks? This case shows how quickly lives can end when people with fast cars and alcohol make reckless choices.

It also makes us ask if our legal system does enough to prevent these acts before they happen, rather than just punishing people after lives are already lost.

THE OTHER SIDE

Lawyers for the defense argued that the crash was a tragic accident and that the fault did not lie solely with their clients. Erickson's team has previously tried to distance him from the crash itself. But the jury found their arguments weak compared to the evidence of high speed and drinking.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

The verdict brings a massive financial penalty, but a second phase of the trial will decide on punitive damages. This means the total amount could go even higher.

For regular people, this case highlights the danger of street racing and drunk driving in suburban areas. It may push local groups to demand safer crosswalks.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

How much of the $176 million will the family actually be able to collect?

• Will this massive verdict change how cities design suburban crosswalks to protect kids?
• How will the next phase of the trial for extra damages affect the final penalty?