A 23-year-old man riding a two-wheeler without a helmet died after a high-speed collision with a car on the Ruby-bound section of EM Bypass early on Wednesday.

Alokesh Halder was driving from Dhalai Bridge in Garia towards Ruby on his KTM bike when he hit the car near the Singhibari crossing, opposite Metro Cash and Carry, around 1.30am, police said.

Halder lost balance after hitting the car and rammed into the divider.

The bike’s number plate was twisted under the impact. Halder was declared dead at MR Bangur Hospital, the police said.

“Eyewitnesses said the two-wheeler was moving at high speed and seemed like he was almost flying before it hit the car,” the officer said.

According to doctors, Halder suffered multiple injuries to his head and possibly died at the accident site.

Halder, a resident of Durganagar in North 24-Parganas, lost consciousness after falling off the bike. Some documents found on him had his address and date of birth. The police found his parents’ numbers on his mobile phone.

“Bikers tend to speed at night on EM Bypass. The night nakas with moveable guardrails have helped reduce fatalities. But unfortunately, a section of two-wheeler riders continues to take risks,” said a senior police officer.

The stretch of Bypass between the Metro Cash and Carry’s intersection
with Singhibari is the longest without a traffic signal. Motorists tend to speed along
this stretch at night, officers said. “Even with guardrails placed across the road near intersections, it is always a challenge to stop motorcyclists from speeding at night. Police prosecutions for overspeeding on EM Bypass, Prince Anwar Shah Road connector and the Rashbehari Avenue connector have increased. However, the tendency to speed persists,” said the officer.

What makes EM Bypass additionally risky for motorists during winter nights is the smog that hangs heavy on some stretches.

“There aren’t enough lights on EM Bypass that help to see through thick fog, particularly on the stretch between Chingrighata and Phoolbagan. During early mornings, it gets risky even if you are driving at a moderate speed,” said Sujoy Ghosh Roy, a Garia resident who drives to and from his Salt Lake office every day.