A motorist who struck and killed a Pakistani international student who was praying in the middle of an Adelaide road has given a suspended prison sentence and banned from driving for a decade.
Samia Malik, 20, was seen by witnesses and caught on CCTV appearing to kneel in prayer for almost four minutes on North East Road in Hillcrest on the night of May 6, 2025, before she was hit by then-19-year-old Ashton Jacob Friend.
Friend, who kept driving because he thought he had hit a kangaroo, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a vehicle and leaving an accident scene after causing death, and faced court for sentencing on Friday, The Advertiser reported.
The court heard Friend was not affected by alcohol or drugs, was driving under the speed limit, and was looking in his rearview mirror in the seconds he would have needed to avoid hitting Ms Malik.
“You had approximately 2.25 seconds from the moment your headlights would have detected [Ms Malik] until impact,” Judge Anne Barnett told Friend in sentencing.
“The reconstruction expert opines only that you may have, in light of that time frame, been able to avoid the collision or minimise your speed.
“You initially thought that you’d hit a kangaroo, that you hadn’t seen anyone when you were driving and there were no lights in the middle of the road, but you heard a noise under your car and saw reference to the incident on the news the next day.”
Judge Barnett told the court that while Friend realised he had hit a person after seeing the news reports, the community expected drivers to be vigilant and attentive, and respond appropriately after accidents.
Friend read an apology letter at a previous hearing where he accepted full responsibility for his “actions and inactions”, and the “indescribable pain” he had caused.
“I know nothing I say can undo what I did or bring Samia back. I am deeply sorry for the life that was lost, for the grief and trauma caused to Samia’s family and loved ones,” he said.
Judge Barnett sentenced Friend to one year, three months and 29 days’ imprisonment, with an eight-month non-parole period, but suspended the sentence with a $500 good behaviour bond for two years due to his genuine remorse, young age, good prospects for rehabilitation, and the circumstances of the offending.
Header image: Left, Samia Malik. Right, Malik kneeling in the road in prayer before the accident (supplied).
