A 50-year-old woman, sitting on the carrier of a bicycle, died after being hit by a vehicle from behind on Upen Banerjee Road in Parnasree on Monday night.

Police said Prabhabati Gond was rushed to Vidyasagar State General Hospital with multiple injuries along with her husband Rajendar Ram, 54, who was riding the cycle.

While Prabhabati was declared “brought dead”, her husband was admitted to the hospital.

“The couple hail from Subhas Marg in Parnasree. The vehicle came from behind and hit the bicycle at a spot near a government polytechnic college around 11.40pm,” said a senior officer of Parnasree police station.

“The vehicle was later identified and seized. The driver was arrested.”

A preliminary investigation revealed the Gonds were headed home on the bicycle.

Prabhabati was carrying some items she had bought at a local market.

Rajendar was cycling down Upen Banerjee Road when the vehicle — a 12-seater car — came at a high “speed”, eyewitness said.

Bystanders told the police that the vehicle’s driver moved to the left while trying to get past a car and hit the cycle. The couple were flung away
in the impact and landed at a distance.

“Close to midnight, the road had less traffic and the vehicle fled the spot. Some bystanders informed us about the accident,” the police officer said.

“The vehicle was later identified based on footage from several CCTV cameras.”

Investigators said the vehicle’s driver was probably hurrying to return home after his day’s duty. The vehicle was on the rolls of a company, officers said.

Senior officers overseeing traffic admitted that many motorists drive rashly late at night and in the early hours despite police crackdown.

“The traffic guards have been instructed to conduct night raids at new locations under their jurisdictions every night to stop such overspeeding incidents,” said a senior officer.

“Unfortunately, a few continue to drive recklessly despite the prosecutions,” he said.