A six-year-old boy who’s mother was killed in the Christmas tragedy at St. James Church, has now died, bringing the total carnage to four dead.
REDONDO BEACH, CALIF. — A woman who police have charged with driving while under the influence of drugs ran her vehicle into a crowd of people leaving a Christmas concert program at St. James Catholic Church in Redondo Beach, California and killed three persons and left another eleven persons injured.
Redondo Beach California Police Sgt. Shawn Freeman reports that on December 17, 2014 at about 8:00 PM, Redondo Beach Police Department and Fire Department responded to the intersection of Vincent Street and Pacific Coast Highway regarding a traffic collision between a vehicle and several pedestrians.
Information provided to RBPD was that a motor vehicle driven by a female adult drove north bound on Pacific Coast Highway through the intersection of Vincent Street, striking several pedestrians. The pedestrians were leaving a church service at St. James Catholic Church, and were crossing in the crosswalk, going east bound on Vincent Street. After striking the pedestrians, the vehicle continued driving, into the south bound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway and collided head on into another vehicle.
Responding fire department personnel treated approximately eleven persons at the scene, both pedestrians and occupants of vehicles. These injured persons were transported to local area hospitals for treatment. Two injured persons drove themselves to local hospitals for treatment. There have been three people that have died as a result of injuries sustained in the traffic collision.
The deceased have been identified as Mary Anne Wilson, 81 years old of Torrance, Saeko Matsumura, 87 years old of Torrance and Martha Gaza, 36 years old of Torrance. All three were pedestrians at time of collision.
The majority of those injured were pedestrians, and the injuries known to the Redondo Beach Police Department at this time are as follows:
- Injured adult with a leg fracture, stable condition
- Injured adult with a head injury and leg fracture, critical condition
- Injured child with head trauma and bruised lung, critical condition
- Injured child with broken collar bone, stable condition
- Six injured persons with minor abrasions and complaint of pains, in stable condition.The California Highway Patrol is assisting Redondo Beach Police Department personnel with the collision investigation.
- The driver, Margo Bronstein, 56 years old, resident of Redondo Beach has been arrested for felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Margo Bronstein is currently being held at the Redondo Beach Police Department jail with a $300,000 bail. The next scheduled court date for Margo Bronstein is Friday, December 19, 2014 at the Torrance Court House. Margo Bronstein was treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained in the traffic collision prior to being booked for the felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated charge.
- In total there were eight adults (including the suspect) and five children injured as a result of this traffic collision.
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