LAPD

Man Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash in Hollywood Identified

A pedestrian killed in Hollywood by a hit-and-run driver, who remains at large, was identified Friday as a man who spent 12 years in prison in Australia before being exonerated of murder.

Officers responded about 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 said.

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 Perth wife and mother Pamela Lawrence in 1995 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison before being ultimately exonerated, 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.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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