Bhubaneswar, July 14: A law student was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly driving a luxury SUV under the influence of alcohol and crashing head-on into a motorcycle near Shastri Nagar Square in Bhubaneswar, killing a 34-year-old man. The tragic accident has once again raised concerns over reckless and drunken driving in the city.

The accused has been identified as Soumya Ranjan Rath, while the deceased was identified as Debi Prasad Routray. Police have booked Rath on charges of rash and negligent driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to Zone-I ACP Ramesh Chandra Bisoi, the accident occurred around 10.30 pm on Monday when the speeding SUV allegedly driven by Rath collided with Routray's motorcycle. The impact was so severe that the motorcycle was completely mangled.

Hearing the loud crash, local residents rushed to the spot and found Routray critically injured. He was immediately taken to Capital Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Police said the accused allegedly attempted to flee after the collision. However, alert locals intercepted the SUV and detained Rath along with a woman passenger before handing them over to the police.

A team from Kharavel Nagar Police Station rescued the duo from an angry crowd and took them into custody. Senior police officials later visited the spot to calm protesters and assured strict legal action. Both vehicles have been seized, and the investigation is continuing to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the fatal crash.

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