Ashton Friend received a suspended sentence after striking and killing international student Samia Malik, who had been kneeling in the road in what a judge described as a possible praying motion.
A young driver has avoided immediate imprisonment after killing an international student who had been kneeling in the middle of an Australian road, with a court hearing that he drove away without realising he had struck a person.
Ashton Friend, 20, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident following the death of Samia Malik in Hillcrest, Adelaide, on May 6, 2025.
Judge Anne Barnett sentenced Friend to a suspended term of one year, three months and 29 days, with a non-parole period of eight months. He must also remain of good behaviour for two years under a bond.
Student knelt in road for four minutes
The South Australian District Court heard that Malik had been kneeling in the middle of North East Road for approximately four minutes before Friend’s car struck her at around 11pm.
Judge Barnett said CCTV footage showed Malik’s hands positioned in what appeared to be a praying gesture shortly before she was killed. The circumstances behind her presence in the road have never been fully explained.
Driver claimed he did not realise
Friend had been driving home from his girlfriend’s house when the collision occurred. His defence barrister, Jane Abbey KC, told the court in September that he had been unaware of an obstruction in the road and initially believed the noise he heard might have been caused by an animal.
Abbey also argued that the limited damage to his vehicle had contributed to Friend’s failure to understand what had happened.
Explaining his actions after the collision, she told the court:
“He was checking his rear vision, but he did not see her – he should have,”
Friend later learned of Malik’s death through news reports, which the court heard left him in a state of paralysis. Police identified him a week after the incident and arrested him.
Police investigation tracked him down
The court heard that Friend had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol and had not been speeding when he struck Malik. However, prosecutors highlighted that he had failed to stop and had not voluntarily reported himself to police after realising he was responsible for the fatal collision.
Prosecutor Frank Niemann also told the court that other motorists had managed to swerve around Malik before the fatal impact. A police vehicle travelling some distance behind Friend had also been able to stop and pull over without hitting her.
Niemann pointed to the police investigation that ultimately identified Friend, describing the work required to locate him as impressive.
Driver apologises to grieving family
In an apology read to Malik’s family, Friend acknowledged the suffering caused by her death and accepted responsibility for his failure to stop.
“I will have to carry my failures with me for as long as I live,”
Ashton Friend
Friend also said there was no excuse for his actions and expressed remorse for the loss of life and the trauma experienced by Malik’s loved ones.
Family describes lasting grief
Malik’s sister, Qudisya Malik, described the family’s continuing grief in a victim impact statement read aloud by prosecutor Niemann.
The statement explained how the loss continued to affect the family during important milestones and everyday life.
“Nothing can ever replace Samia. We have lost a daughter, a sister, a friend and a remarkable young woman who had so much life ahead of her.”
The family said Malik would remain part of their lives despite her death, while the court heard of the profound and ongoing impact of losing her.
Sentence leaves questions unanswered
Friend’s sentence means he will not immediately serve a prison term, subject to the conditions of the suspended sentence and his two-year good behaviour bond.
Although the court heard evidence about Malik’s position in the road, the collision and Friend’s failure to stop, there has never been a full explanation for why she was kneeling there that night.