A motorist died overnight after colliding with traffic which had built up due to a "yellow vest" anti-government protest in southern France, a local prosecutor said Sunday.

The accident happened in Arles after "a van collided into a heavy truck at full force before being hit by another vehicle," Tarascon prosecutor Patrick Desjardins told AFP, adding that the accident was "directly related" to a roadblock by protesters which caused a 10km traffic jam.