Lawyer: Woman did not intend to hit pedestrians

Mourners placed flowers at a make shift memorial Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, near where a driver suspected of being intoxicated hit a group of pedestrians and another car outside a church as a Christmas service ended Wednesday night in Redondo Beach, Calif. Three people were killed and several others were injured including five children, police said. Margo Bronstein, 56, was arrested after the crash on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter, Redondo Beach police Lt. Shawn Freeman said. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Mourners placed flowers at a make shift memorial Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, near where a driver suspected of being intoxicated hit a group of pedestrians and another car outside a church as a Christmas service ended Wednesday night in Redondo Beach, Calif. Three people were killed and several others were injured including five children, police said. Margo Bronstein, 56, was arrested after the crash on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter, Redondo Beach police Lt. Shawn Freeman said. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

By Associated Press December 20, 2014 2 min read

TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) – The attorney for a 56-year-old woman accused in the deaths of four people, including a 6-year-old boy, said it was an accident when she ran her car into nearly a dozen pedestrians outside a California church, describing her as someone who “does not live her life recklessly.”

“Two days ago, three days ago, people that knew her couldn’t believe that she’d be in this situation,” said Jeffrey Gray, attorney for Margo Bronstein.

Gray pleaded not guilty on Bronstein’s behalf Friday to four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury.

Bronstein was wheeled into court on a gurney. She was propped up with pillows and spoke only to her lawyer.

A judge ordered her held on $500,000 bail, the amount requested by prosecutors.