A 24-year-old man has been killed in a hit and run crash in Liverpool city centre.
The victim was struck by a grey-coloured BMW 330 series on The Strand, close to the Hilton Hotel and Albert Dock, at around 11.40pm on Friday.
By-standers went to the man’s aid but the driver of the car failed to stop and sped off southbound away from the city centre.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene before taking him to the city’s Royal University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 2.30am.
Police later discovered the vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident in a residential area nearby and it is currently being forensically examined.
Officers have identified the victim and have informed his next of kin. His family and loved ones are being supported by specialist officers at this difficult time.
It is believed he had been visiting the city with friends and had been enjoying a night out when the collision occurred.
Extensive enquiries are being carried out by detectives and roads policing officers to identify and track down the person or people on board the vehicle involved in the collision.
A large section of The Strand is currently closed south-bound and will be for some time while collision investigators carry out examinations.
Inspector Danny Harris, from Merseyside Police’s roads policing unit, said: “This is an extremely serious incident in which a young man has tragically died.
“We need anyone who saw the collision or remembers seeing a grey or silver-coloured BMW 330 in or around this area to come forward.
“If you were filming on your mobile phone whilst on this part of the Strand then please review that footage and let us know if it captures anything.
“If you were driving and had a dash-cam on then again, please look at your footage from that part of your journey and tell us if anything significant is on there.
“The person behind the wheel at the time of this collision knows what has happened and it is important that they do the right thing and come forward and help us understand what has happened.
“The city is covered by CCTV and we are using every resource at our disposal to investigate this tragedy and will not stop until we have identified and tracked down everyone who was there at the time.”
The Strand is likely to remain closed for a significant part of Saturday and the force is working with public transport companies and the city council to put diversions in place and minimise disruption in the city.
However motorists and commuters are strongly advised to avoid the area where possible and leave extra time for journeys taking them through the city centre.
If you have any information about the incident, call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 5747 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.