Former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Erickson has stated that he has lost millions of dollars amid a jury’s deliberations regarding his financial operations linked to a tragic crash in 2020 that resulted in the deaths of two young boys in Westlake Village.
The jury is now faced with the decision of whether to grant punitive damages to both Erickson and his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Grossman, who were deemed responsible for the fatalities of 11-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Jacob Iskander.
On Wednesday, the jury awarded the Iskander family $176 million, holding both Erickson and Grossman liable for the accident that claimed the boys’ lives.
During the penalty phase of his trial, Erickson testified that the nearly $46 million he made during his MLB career is essentially gone. He expressed to the jury that he’s struggled to find employment in recent years. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he mentioned that he hasn’t worked at all since the incident.
“I’ve been unable to secure work since the accident,” he stated in court.
Erickson’s baseball career ended in 2006, and a combination of taxes, divorce, and unwise financial choices reportedly left him with about $9,000 currently available. However, he does still possess $242,000 in a retirement account, $200,000 worth of stock in a Las Vegas condo, and a monthly pension from MLB amounting to $13,000.
Grossman was convicted of murder for the deaths of the two boys during a pursuit with Erickson, receiving a sentence of 15 years to life in prison in 2024.
While Erickson wasn’t charged, he was driving another vehicle near the scene, which raised questions about whether they were both speeding at the time of the incident. He testified last month that he had accelerated when he saw the boys crossing the street moments before the collision.
In his emotional testimony, Erickson admitted to the court that he had acted irresponsibly, believing that accelerating was the safest option. He reflected on the event with regret, saying, “I think I could have stopped it if I had just taken a different action…”
On the evening of September 29, 2020, the Iskander children, along with their mother and brother, were crossing Triunfo Canyon Road when Erickson’s SUV approached. Shortly thereafter, Grossman allegedly careened into them while driving a Mercedes at a speed of 113 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Nancy Iskander, the boys’ mother, described how she narrowly escaped tragedy by saving her youngest son and witnessing the heartbreaking scene unfold as Grossman’s vehicle sped through.
In March, the California Court of Appeals rejected Grossman’s appeal to overturn her conviction, sealing her sentence without options for early release or parole.
