A 38-year-old man has been charged with murder after allegedly slamming his car into tourists on California's famous Venice Beach boardwalk, killing an Italian woman on her honeymoon and injuring 11 others, police said.

Nathan Campbell was charged with murder on Sunday and held on $1m bail after the horrific incident at the popular Los Angeles tourist haunt.

Witnesses of the crash, which occurred on Saturday, said the driver of the high-powered Dodge Avenger appeared to deliberately aim at pedestrians.

Italian woman Alice Gruppioni, 32, died following the crash, coroner's investigator Kristy McCracken said as an autopsy was pending.

Another victim remained in critical condition, two were listed as serious while eight other victims were being treated for less-serious injuries, Los Angeles Police Department officer Andy Nieman said.

The driver of the car allegedly fled the scene immediately after the crash. The suspect later turned himself in for questioning at Santa Monica police station where he was formally arrested, Nieman said.

The Venice Beach boardwalk is a major tourist attraction known for its eclectic patchwork of shops, restaurants and sporting areas

In 2003, an elderly man drove his car through a crowded farmers' market in nearby Santa Monica, killing 10 people and injuring 69.