SINGAPORE - A 49-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run accident along Jalan Bukit Merah last week that resulted in the death of a 78-year-old man.

Last Thursday (Aug 17) at about 6.35am, Mr Song Chee Keong was hit by a power-assisted bicycle - otherwise known as an electric bicycle or e-bike - outside a McDonald's outlet along Jalan Bukit Merah, sustaining serious head injuries. The e-bike rider left before the police arrived at the scene.

Mr Song later died of his injuries in hospital last Saturday.

The Singapore Police Force had earlier appealed to the public to come forward if they had information, and on Monday released photos of the man suspected of being involved in the accident.

The police said the man was arrested for causing death by a rash act and that investigations into the case are still ongoing.

The maximum punishment for causing death by a rash act is five years' jail and a fine.

In June, The Straits Times reported that there were 54 accidents involving e-bikes last year (2016), up from 39 the previous year, though the number of fatal accidents decreased from five in 2015 to three last year.