Udupi, Feb 16: Police have taken a student into custody in Manipal for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and triggering a string of late-night accidents that left an elderly auto-rickshaw driver injured and several vehicles damaged.

The accused, identified as Abhimanyu Negi, is alleged to have driven a Haryana-registered car at high speed late on February 14. According to police, the vehicle ploughed into seven two-wheelers parked in a row along the roadside before colliding head-on with an oncoming auto-rickshaw.

The auto driver, Shivaprasad (76), a resident of Badagabettu, suffered an internal head injury and was rushed for medical treatment. Investigators said the car was driven recklessly from the college road area, with the driver swerving across both extremes of the carriageway before losing control.

Police noted that had the vehicle entered the nearby highway at the same speed, the consequences could have been far more severe. The two-wheelers damaged in the incident reportedly belonged to employees of establishments lining the stretch.

A case has been registered at the Manipal Police Station. The affected road is commonly used by workers and the general public day and night, and authorities have flagged concerns over frequent minor accidents linked to overspeeding by heavy vehicles in the area.