Bhubaneswar: Police on Tuesday arrested the driver of the Mercedes-Benz car involved in the fatal road accident near Shastri Nagar Square in Bhubaneswar late on Monday night, in which a motorcyclist lost his life.

Zone-I ACP Ramesh Bisoyi said the accused, identified as Soumya Ranjan Rath, has been arrested on charges of rash driving and drunken driving.

According to the police, Rath, a law student, was driving the luxury car under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred.

The mishap took place at around 10.30 pm on Monday when the speeding car collided head-on with a motorcycle near Shastri Nagar Square. The impact of the crash completely mangled the two-wheeler.

Locals rushed to the spot and shifted the critically injured motorcyclist to Capital Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Following the accident, the driver attempted to flee the scene. However, locals intercepted the vehicle and detained him along with a woman passenger who was travelling in the car.

Police from Kharavel Nagar police station later reached the spot, rescued the duo from an angry crowd and took them into custody.

The police action triggered protests from locals, who suspected that the driver might be let off because of his influential background. Agitated protesters vandalised the car, attempted to set it on fire and staged a road blockade, disrupting traffic for nearly an hour.

Senior police officers later reached the spot, pacified the protesters and assured them that strict legal action would be taken against the accused.

Police have seized both the Mercedes-Benz car and the motorcycle. The investigation into the fatal accident is underway.