Rebecca Grossman, co-founder of burn center foundation, arrested in Westlake Village crash that killed brothers
Two brothers were fatally injured when they were hit by a speeding Mercedes while crossing a street in Westlake Village with their family, and the motorist — a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation — was arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter, authorities said Wednesday.
The crash occurred at about 7:10 p.m. Tuesday at the
intersection of Triunfo Canyon Road and Saddle Mountain Drive, the Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department said.
One boy died at the scene and the other boy died at a
hospital a few hours later, the Sheriff’s Department reported. Their names were
withheld pending notification of their relatives.
Broadcast reports said the older boy was 11 and died at the
scene, while the younger brother was reported to be either 8 or 9.
Sheriff’s officials said six family members were crossing the
three-way intersection — which does not have a stoplight — in a marked
crosswalk when the mother heard a car speeding toward them and both parents
reached out to protect two of their children, but the two boys were too far out
in the intersection and were struck.
Rebecca Grossman, 57, was booked on suspicion of vehicular
manslaughter and DUI, and her bail was set at $2 million, the Sheriff’s
Department reported.
Capt. Salvador Becerra said sheriff’s officials think speed
and alcohol were factors in the crash, and were also investigating the
possibility that Grossman might have left the scene.
Video from the scene showed a scooter in the street, a
helmet and roller blades on a sidewalk near the crash location, and a white
Mercedes with front-end damage.
Triunfo Canyon Road was closed in the area while an
investigation was conducted into the circumstances of the crash.
Grossman is the wife of Dr. Peter Grossman, who is the
director of the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills and son of the center’s late
founder, A. Richard Grossman. Rebecca Grossman is also co-founder and
chairwoman of the Grossman Burn Foundation. She is the former publisher of
Westlake Magazine.
There was no immediate comment from the Grossman Burn
Foundation.
Before moving to West Hills, the Grossman Burn Center was
headquartered at Sherman Oaks Hospital, where founding Dr. A. Richard Grossman
began treating burn patients in 1969, according to the center’s website. The
burn center grew into a 30-bed, free-standing unit by 1978.
It is one of the largest burn centers in the world.
Dr. Peter Grossman joined the practice in 1995. The burn
center moved to West Hills Hospital in 2010, and the elder Dr. Grossman died in
2014.
Anyone with information on Tuesday’s incident was urged to
call the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station at 818-878-1808.
Comments
Post a Comment