In the second such case in less than a week, police are looking for the driver of a sport utility vehicle who struck a pedestrian yesterday and fled the scene.

A 39-year-old man was in critical condition after being struck on the sidewalk in front of Aloha Tower Marketplace about 2 a.m., police said.

The driver of the SUV, described by witnesses as a black Cadillac Escalade, stopped briefly, then drove away, police said.

Police are asking for the public's help in finding the driver of the hit-and-run vehicle. The incident follows the Wednesday death of a 79-year-old man crossing Dillingham Boulevard who was killed after being struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Authorities have not released the victim's name.

In yesterday's accident, the man was walking on the sidewalk of Nimitz Highway when the south-bound Escalade moved into the right lane, hit the curb, jumped up on the sidewalk and struck the man.

Witnesses said the SUV driver stopped momentarily, but made no effort to aid the injured pedestrian and then drove off toward Waikiki, according to Lt. Darren Izumo of Honolulu's police vehicular homicide investigation team.

Police said the Escalade had tinted windows, chrome rims and low-profile tires. The vehicle may have sustained damage to its right front rim and tire when it hit the curb, and its windshield, front hood or fender may have been damaged when it struck the man, police said.

The victim, who remained in critical condition last night, suffered head and torso injuries, police said.

In the Wednesday night case, police are looking for a new, light-colored SUV that fled the scene. The vehicle, which had temporary paper license plates, was traveling in the center lane on Dillingham Boulevard when it struck the elderly man crossing the street.

The man died a short time later, becoming the 18th traffic fatality of the year in Honolulu.

The two incidents came in the same week that the wife of another hit-and-run fatality victim made an emotional plea for the public's help in identifying the driver in that case.

Suzanne Jackson said on Thursday that she still hopes someone will come forward with information that identifies the person responsible for the death of her husband, John, who was struck by a car in the early morning of Nov. 10 when he was stopped on North Nimitz Highway between Ohohia Street and Camp Catlin Road.

Police recovered the 2002 gold Chevy Astro van that struck Jackson and his 18-year-old son as they were outside their vehicle, but have been unable to identify the man and woman who ran away from the scene.

The Jackson case was among four fatal hit-and-runs investigated last year and one of two that remain unresolved.

Police also said 18 of 22 nonfatal hit-and-runs from 2007 and six cases from January through May 2008 remain open.