Police have urged the driver of a stolen car involved in a fatal hit-and-run to “do the right thing” and hand themselves in.
A man in his 60s died after he was hit by a dark Audi S8 which then ploughed into a garden on Morgan Mews in the Netherton area of Liverpool at about 9.05pm on Thursday.
The driver of the car, which was suspected to have been stolen during a previous burglary, fled the scene on foot along Swifts Lane and is likely to have been injured following the collision, police said.
Paramedics attended and the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
He has not yet been formally identified but next of kin have been made aware.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy McCourt said: “This is truly a horrific incident in which an innocent member of the public has been tragically killed by a stolen car.
“The driver of the car has then made off on foot. I am today appealing to that driver do the right thing and hand themselves in to police.
“It is only a matter of time before we find you and arrest you. The family and friends of the man who was killed have been left devastated by their loss and I am determined that we will get justice for them.
“If anyone in the community who knows who that person is or have any information I would urge them to come forward.”
On Friday, a police cordon was in place in the surrounding area and a house in Morgan Mews was taped off, with a white tent visible in the back garden.
One woman, who did not want to be named, said: “I’ve just woken up to all this. I looked out of the window and saw a car in the neighbour’s garden.
“I think it’s gone through the railings and through their wall. There’s a blue tarpaulin over it now.
“It’s scary. We were out in the garden with the kids until about 7pm yesterday and I just feel lucky we weren’t out there when it happened.
“It’s heart-breaking.”
Another neighbour said: “I was watching television about 9pm and I just saw the blue lights.
“I looked out of the window and it was swarming with police.
“The poor fella who has died, he was probably just going for a pint.”
A resident on nearby The Marian Way, to where the police cordon extended, said: “I did hear a big bang last night but I didn’t think anything of it.
“Then there were loads of police, all along the road here, and it was all cordoned off.
“They were knocking on houses to see if we had cameras.
“My partner always walks that way to go to the chippy so it could have been anyone really. It’s so sad.”
A force spokesman said the car was thought to have been stolen in a burglary in the Harrison Drive area of Rainford, St Helens, in the early hours of Thursday.
It is believed the offenders travelled to Rainford in a grey Audi Q2 stolen from the Caithness Drive area of Crosby, Sefton, earlier that day.
The Audi Q2 was recovered by police in Rainford.
Police appealed for anyone with CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage in the area of the collision or the two burglaries to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Matrix Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0151 777 5747, email SCIU@merseyside.police.uk or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
