Bhubaneswar: A woman died, and her husband sustained critical injuries after a car hit them in front of the Lingaraj Temple here today.

The deceased woman has been identified as Sulochana Mohanty. The injured person Jurinath Debarta has been admitted to the AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

According to reports, the couple from the Digapahandi area in Ganjam district had visited the Lingaraj Temple to conduct a ritual called 'Bada Badua Daka' to pay homage to their ancestors on auspicious Diwali yesterday. They were about to head to Puri this morning. While they were standing in front of the north gate of the temple, a car hit the duo, killing the woman on the spot. The husband was critically injured in the accident.

The driver of the car fled from the site leaving the vehicle on the road. The accused driver has been identified as Goutam Mishra.

"A car bearing the Rg. No. OD02CN6726 was parked near the parking place and its owner was speaking over the phone. During that period, the driver of the car started the vehicle. Instead of driving forward, he carelessly applied the back gear due to which it hit the couple who were coming behind the car. The woman died on the spot," informed Girija Shankar Chakrabarty, ACP Zone-II, Bhubaneswar.

"We managed to catch the driver of the vehicle. We are interrogating the car owner and his son in the police station. The accused driver will be forwarded to a court today," he said.