Former Dodgers Right-Hander Being Connected With Murder Trial: Reports
Former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson has been directly connected with an ongoing murder trial. The pitcher played for Los Angeles in 2005 and spent 15 years in Major League Baseball.
During opening statements of the trial for L.A. socialite Rebecca Grossman, Erickson was named as the person of interest. Grossman is being charged with the death of two young boys after her car sped through a crosswalk, striking the children.
Grossman's vehicle allegedly struck the boys while going over 70 mph in a 45 mph zone. Authorities say that she may have been going as fast as 81 mph before hitting the two boys.
However, Grossman's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, pointed the finger at Erickson during the opening statements. He claims that it was Erickson who struck the boys, not his client Grossman.
Grossman was driving behind Erickson after the two had been drinking at a restaurant nearby. Buzbee argued that despite Erickson's car entering the crosswalk a few seconds before Grossman, sheriff’s investigators never checked his vehicle for damage.
“Witnesses are expected to testify they heard Erickson’s high-powered black Mercedes SUV racing down the street and saw it strike both boys, who were hurled through the air after the collision.”
If this information is accurate, Erickson could find himself in some real legal trouble. However, one witness testified that while Erickson's vehicle did go through first, he avoided the family altogether.
"Jake Sands testified that the black SUV — Erickson’s — approached the crosswalk first. There, Nancy Iskander and her three sons — Mark, 11; Jacob, 8; and Zachary, 5 — were making their way across the residential street. The driver tapped his brakes, Sands testified. “It swerved and avoided the family right before,” he told the court in 2022."
Buzbee will argue against this and hope he can do enough to get his client off the hook. Erickson was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving for the incident.
His part in the case was resolved after a judge ordered him to make a public service announcement that focused on the importance of safe driving. He has denied any wrongdoing involving this matter.
