Neighbours were woken to tragedy on their doorsteps by an "almighty bang" in the early hours of this morning.
The sound came from a crash in which a man in his 70s suffered fatal injuries when he was hit by a taxi in Kirkdale.
Many who live overlooking the collision scene today described it as an accident hotspot that caused them concern.
Emergency services were called to Westminster Road at around 1am following reports of a crash.
It was quickly established a pensioner had been hit by a blue Skoda Octavia.
The man died at the scene.
Neighbours described hearing the crash and then watching as paramedics attempted to help the injured man.
One woman, left shaken by the sight of the man lying in the road, said: "I was asleep at the time but I heard an almighty bang.
"It was awful, it is such a shame."
Up to six members of the public are thought to have stepped in to help at the scene, diverting traffic and calling 999.
The crash happened close to the road's junction with Fountains Road, where a bend in the road, pedestrian crossing and side roads combine with constant traffic to create regular accidents and near-misses, several neighbours said, adding they believed a speed camera could make the area safer.
The emergency services had left the scene by mid-Sunday morning, with red tape used on the road as the scene was examined the only sign of the tragedy just hours earlier.
Police said a 50-year-old man from Salford was detained and arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving.
He was taken to a police station for questioning.
Detectives said they had opened a full investigation and would like to speak to any witnesses.
House-to-house enquiries had been carried out and businesses along Westminster Road asked whether CCTV cameras had captured useful footage.
Roads Policing Sergeant Martin Mayne said: "This was a tragic event in which a man sadly lost his life, and we're keen to gather as much evidence into the circumstances as possible.
"It is believed that at least six members of the public kindly assisted the victim after the collision, diverting traffic and calling for an ambulance.
"We would like to speak to any witnesses who have information or dashcam footage from the area at around 12.30am this morning, as it could be vital to the investigation.
“We believe that the car had travelled from Bootle and was heading towards the city centre when the collision occurred. Any information or footage is welcome, so please come forward.”
*Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any dascham or CCTV footage is asked to contact Merseyside Police on Twitter (@MerPolCC) or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 with the reference 21000348473
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