Young driver apologises in court after fatal hit-and-run on Adelaide student

In Adelaide’s north-east, 20-year-old Ashton Friend struck Samia Malik, an international student who had been kneeling on North East Road, and fled the scene. The District Court learned that Friend was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, was not exceeding the speed limit, and his car sustained only slight damage, which he interpreted as having hit a small animal. He only realized he had hit a person after seeing a news report days later and was later identified and arrested by police.

During the hearing Friend pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and leaving the scene, and delivered an apology to Malik’s family, acknowledging the irreversible loss. Victim impact statements highlighted the family’s profound grief. Prosecutors and defence concurred that a suspended custodial sentence would be fitting when sentencing occurs next month.