Marine back from Iraq killed while walking on SoCal freeway

TEMECULA, Calif. - A 22-year-old Marine was killed less than a week after returning from duty in Iraq when a minivan struck him on Interstate 15, authorities said Friday.

Lance Cpl. Eric Ryan Grossman, 22, of Orange was in a car parked on the side of the highway early Thursday when he stepped out of the vehicle and ran against traffic, said California Highway Patrol officer Ron Thatcher.

Grossman was with fellow Marines, who told investigators he had been drinking and became irate when someone in the car woke him up, Thatcher said.

Motorists reported seeing a man run from the shoulder of the road into freeway lanes. A big rig driver spotted Grossman and hit the brakes, prompting the driver of a minivan who was behind the truck to change lanes. The van's driver, who was traveling at about 60 mph, then hit Grossman as he stood directly in his path, the CHP said.

The Marine suffered major head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Riverside County coroner's office was conducting a toxicology test to determine Grossman's blood-alcohol level.

Investigators do not believe Grossman was attempting to commit suicide.

"His friends made no such statements indicating he may have been suicidal," Thatcher said. "He had recently gone through warrior transition, a standard debriefing training for those who return from the war."

"What drove him to exit the car and wander on the freeway? We'll never know," the officer said.

The Camp Pendleton-based Marine returned April 1 after serving seven months in Iraq.
Mercury News

Suicide by minivan