A driver suspected in the deadly hit-and-run that killed a man who spent 12 years in prison in Australia before being exonerated of murder was at-large Saturday.
Officers responded at 1:30 a.m. Thursday to the 7100 block of Sunset Boulevard and found Andrew Mallard, 56, of Santa Monica, in the road. He died at the scene, the coroner’s office reported.
“The (driver) stopped, hesitated, tried to see if he wanted to stop or not and just took off,” witness Victor Rodriguez told NBC4.
A good Samaritan was performing CPR on the victim when officers arrived, according to the LAPD.
No suspect or vehicle descriptions were released. The investigation prompted the closure of Sunset Boulevard between Alta Vista Boulevard and La Brea Avenue for several hours.
According to Australian news reports, Mallard was convicted of murdering businesswoman Pamela Lawrence in 1995 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison before being exonerated in 2006, thanks to the efforts of a journalist, a politician and lawyers who took on his case pro bono.
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run case was urged to call detectives at 213-473-0234, or 877-LAPD-247.