As officers yesterday were investigating an early-morning vehicular death of another pedestrian in the city's Hunting Park section, they received word that the vehicle involved in Otto's death might be at the parking lot of the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, said Officer Tanya Little, police spokeswoman.

Otto, of Kennedy Street near Cottage, died at 3:11 a.m. Saturday at Frankford Hospital's Torresdale campus, about four hours after she was hit on Rhawn Street near Lexington Avenue, Little said.

Police had minimal information to help them track down the hit-and-run vehicle, except that it was described as an SUV or van with possible front-end damage.

That was until pedestrian George Bennett, 49, of Bouvier Street near Pulaski Avenue, was struck and killed by an automobile as he walked in the middle of Hunting Park Avenue near Germantown around 1:27 a.m. yesterday, according to Officer Jillian Russell, police spokeswoman.

While police were investigating Bennett's death, a citizen approached one of the officers and said the vehicle involved in Otto's death might be in the parking lot of the Curran-Fromhold facility, on State Road near Rhawn Street, Little said. There, police said, they found a 2006 Toyota Sequoia with heavy damage to the left front end.

The Sequoia, which is being considered a "vehicle of interest," was towed from the prison and taken into police possession, Little said.

The owner of that car remained unknown as of yesterday.

But the unidentified driver who hit Bennett did have the decency to stop and flag down police. As of last night, he or she was not facing any charges, although the investigation was continuing, according to Russell.