Police suspect a woman who knocked down a cyclist before fleeing into a nearby house was under the influence of drugs.

The victim of the crash, a 20-year-old woman, died at the scene after police were unable to revive her. The accident happened at around 3.40am on Sunday in Straatsburglaan in Sittard.

Witnesses told 1Limburg the victim was dragged underneath the car after being hit before the driver sped away. The 43-year-old driver was arrested soon afterwards in a house about 150 metres away in Betuwestraat.

Police said she gave an alcohol reading of 0.7 millilitres per litre of blood in a breath test. The legal limit is 0.5. A blood test was taken to see if she was under the influence of sedatives, 1Limburg reported.