A 29-year-old motorcyclist died after his two-wheeler spun out of control and rammed into a tree along Prince Anwar Shah Road early on Friday. His friend, who was on the pillion, suffered critical head injuries and has been hospitalised.

Soham Mullick, 29, from Kasba, and Mayukh Ranjan Ghosh, 32, who lives in Naktala, were returning home after visiting their teacher in Jadavpur the night before, police said.

The teacher has purportedly told the police that Mullick and Ghosh had met him to seek his blessings as they had recently changed their workplaces.

Ghosh works for a news channel as a journalist and Mullick was associated with another channel.

The two were taken to SSKM Hospital, where Mullick was declared dead. Ghosh was shifted to the Institute of Neuroscience in Mullickbazar.

“Both were wearing helmets. They suffered head injuries and one of them died on the spot,” said an officer of Lake police station.

The accident happened near the Lords Bakery crossing around 4am.

An officer of the traffic department said a speed breaker on the stretch could have triggered the accident.

“Skid marks were seen on the road from the spot where the two-wheeler apparently lost control. The marks started just after the bump. The biker might have failed to spot the speed-breaker and lost balance after hitting it. The two-wheeler finally rammed into a tree,” the officer said.

Mullick is survived by his parents. A family member alleged that some of his belongings, including his mobile phone, were missing from the spot.

A case of unnatural death has been registered with Lake police station.

Officers stressed the need for motorists to regulate speed, especially on empty stretches, when there are no cops and fewer vehicles around.

“But unfortunately motorists just do the opposite. Most of them press the accelerator when they see an empty road. Speeding leaves little scope for the driver or motorist to negotiate a crater or speed-breaker,” another officer of the traffic department said.

As many as 64 motorcyclists and pillion-riders lost their lives in road accidents in Calcutta last year.