Eight adults, including the driver, and five children were injured. A child and an adult, who both suffered head injuries, remained in critical condition Thursday morning.
According to police, the crash happened around 8 p.m. outside of St. James Catholic Church, where a Christmas performance had just ended.
A woman was driving a white Saturn northbound on Pacific Coast Highway through the intersection of Vincent Street when she ran a red light, struck the pedestrians, and slammed head-on into an SUV, police said.
The victims who died were identified as 36-year-old Martha Gaza, 87-year-old Saeko Matsumura and 81-year-old Mary Wilson, all of Torrance.
The driver, 56-year-old Margo Bronstein, was arrested for felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. She is being held on $300,000 bail. Her first court appearance was scheduled for Friday.