Driver avoids jail for hit-and-run that killed woman kneeling on Adelaide road

A young driver in Adelaide has avoided jail time for a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of 20-year-old international student Samia Malik. Ashton Friend, 20, from Banksia Park, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident following the collision on May 6, 2025.

CCTV footage revealed Malik was kneeling on North East Road at Hillcrest for approximately four minutes with her hands in what appeared to be a praying motion. However, no other explanation has been provided as to why the 20-year-old was on the road. Friend's defense barrister, Jane Abbey KC, submitted in court that Friend was unaware of the incident and had not seen Malik until the moment of impact.

He thought it might have been an animal or something similar. The court heard that Friend experienced a state of paralysis following the collision, and he only realized the severity of the situation after viewing a news report about the incident. Friend expressed deep remorse during an apology to the court, stating that he would carry his failures for as long as he lived.

Judge Anne Barnett sentenced Friend to one year, three months, and 29 days with an eight-month non-parole period. The sentence was suspended on the condition that Friend enter a bond to be of good behavior for two years.