Ashton Friend, a 20-year-old driver in Adelaide, South Australia, was sentenced after pleading guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle when he hit and killed international student Samia Malik on May 6, 2025. CCTV footage showed Malik kneeling for four minutes in the middle of North East Road with her hands in what appeared to be a praying motion before she was struck by Friend's car at around 11pm while he was driving home from his girlfriend’s house. Friend did not stop because he initially believed he had hit an animal, and he later identified Malik after seeing news reports about the incident.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On May 6, 2025, Ashton Friend, a 20-year-old driver from Adelaide, struck and killed Samia Malik, a 20-year-old international student from Pakistan, on North East Road in Hillcrest. CCTV footage showed Malik kneeling with her hands in what appeared to be a "praying motion" for about four minutes before the accident occurred at around 11 pm. Friend had pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident but avoided jail time, receiving a suspended sentence from Judge Anne Barnett on September 20, 2025.
The court heard that other drivers swerved around Malik before Friend's car hit her. Additionally, a police car following Friend had time to stop without hitting Malik, suggesting the possibility of mitigating actions by law enforcement. Despite these circumstances, Judge Barnett imposed the suspended sentence due to Friend’s claim of not being aware he hit something until hearing a noise.
Written for “Hit And Run Deaths Australia” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
A young driver has avoided jail time for a hit-and-run that killed a woman who was kneeling in the middle of a road appearing to pray.
asserted
who → avoid → road
Ashton Friend, 20, had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident after he struck and killed international student Samia Malik with his car on North East Road in Hillcrest, Adelaide on May 6, 2025.
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he → plead → May
The South Australian District Court previously heard Malik had been kneeling for four minutes in the middle of the road before she was hit by Friend's car at about 11pm.
asserted
she → hear → pm
Judge Anne Barnett said CCTV vision showed Malik's hands were in what looked like a 'praying motion' in the moments leading up to her death.
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what → say → death
Friend had been driving home from his girlfriend's house when he struck Malik.
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he → drive → Malik
The court heard that he was 'at a loss' as to what had happened, which was why he failed to stop.
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he → hear → loss
'He hadn't been aware that there was something on the road.
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He → be → road
He heard this noise,' defence barrister Jane Abbey KC submitted to the court in September.
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KC → hear → September
'What he hoped was that it had been an animal, or something like that.'
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it → hop → that
Abbey also submitted that due to the limited damage sustained by his car, Friend assumed he hadn't struck a person.
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he → submit → person
Ashton Friend leaving court in Adelaide
Samia Malik was an international student studying in Australia, with family in Pakistan
'
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Malik → leave → Pakistan
He was checking his rear vision, but he did not see her - he should have,' she said.
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she → check → her
'Initially, he just did not realise he had hit a person.'
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he → realise → person
The court heard that Friend realised what had happened when he saw news reports about Malik's death which sent him into a 'state of paralysis'.
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which → hear → paralysis
He was identified by police a week later and arrested.
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He → identify → police
'He just could not reconcile what he had done', Abbey said.
uncertain
Abbey → reconcile → what
The court heard that Friend was not affected by drugs or alcohol and was not speeding when he struck Malik.
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he → hear → Malik
In an apology read to the victim's family, Friend said he could 'only imagine the indescribable pain' they were feeling.
uncertain
they → read → pain
'I will have to carry my failures with me for as long as I live,' he said.
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he → have → me
CCTV footage showing Malik kneeling in the middle of the road, moments before she was struck and killed
'
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she → show → road
I am deeply sorry for the life that was lost, the grief and the trauma caused to Samia's family and loved ones.
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that → lose → family
'There is no excuse for my actions, or my failure to act — and I should have acted.
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I → be → actions
I do not place responsibility on anyone else; it is mine alone.
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it → place → anyone
I take full responsibility for my actions and their consequences.
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I → take → actions
I stand before this court with genuine remorse and a commitment to reflect on, learn from and be accountable for what I have done.'
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I → stand → what
In a victim impact statement read aloud by prosecutor Frank Niemann, Malik's sister Qudisya Malik told told the court that grief had become a part of her everyday life.
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grief → read → life
'There are moments where the pain feels just as fresh as it did on the day we lost her', the statement said.
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statement → be → her
'Every important milestone reminds us that someone deeply loved is missing.
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someone → remind → us
There is always an empty place where Samia should have been.
'
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Samia → be → ?
Nothing can ever replace Samia.
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Nothing → replace → Samia
We have lost a daughter, a sister, a friend and a remarkable young woman who had so much life ahead of her.
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who → lose → her
'Samia will always remain part of our family.
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Samia → remain → family
She may no longer be physically with us, but she continues to live on in our hearts.
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she → continue → hearts
CCTV footage shows Friend's car driving away moments after striking Malik
Niemann noted that other drivers had swerved around Malik in the lead up to her death.
It was also submitted that a police car travelling some distance behind Friend had the time to stop and pull over without hitting Malik.
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car → show → Malik
Niemann also emphasised that Friend had not turned himself in to police despite realising he had been the driver that killed Malik.
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that → emphasise → Malik
Instead, it took some 'impressive police work' to track him down.
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it → take → him
Judge Barnett served Friend a suspended sentence of one year, three months and 29 days with a non-parole period of eight months, with a bond to be of good behaviour for two years.
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Barnett → serve → years
There has never been a full explanation for why Malik was on the road the night she was killed.
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she → kill → road
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