Stories
Pakistani Student Killed in Australian Hit-and-Run; Driver Avoids Jail
- •Samia Malik, a 20-year-old Pakistani student, was killed after being struck by a car while kneeling on a road in Adelaide.
- •The driver, 20-year-old Ashton Friend, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and leaving the scene.
- •CCTV footage revealed Malik had been kneeling in the middle of the road with her hands in a praying motion for about four minutes.
- •Friend claimed he did not see her and only realized what happened after seeing a news report, later expressing deep remorse to the court.
- •Judge Anne Barnett sentenced Friend to a suspended prison term and a two-year good behavior bond.
Key Questions Answered
Twenty-year-old Pakistani student Samia Malik was killed after being struck by a car while kneeling in the middle of North East Road in Hillcrest, Adelaide, with her hands in a praying motion. She had reportedly been kneeling on the road for approximately four minutes before the collision occurred on May 6, 2025.
No, the driver, 20-year-old Ashton Friend, avoided an immediate jail term. Although he was sentenced to one year, three months, and 29 days with an eight-month non-parole period, the sentence was suspended after he agreed to a two-year good behavior bond.
Ashton Friend pleaded guilty to causing death by the careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene after the fatal collision. The court was told that he initially did not realize he had hit a person, thinking he might have struck an animal instead.
