A 22-year-old Yakshagana artist, Praveeth Kumar, lost his life in a road accident near Arkula Junction, Mangaluru, on December 31. Praveeth, a performer with the Sasihitlu Bhagavathi Yakshagana Mela and a first-year MSW student at Vittal First Grade College, was en route to a scheduled performance in Bajpe Kandavara Bailu when the accident occurred.