Driver avoids jail for hit-and-run that killed woman at Hillcrest

A 20-year-old driver has received a suspended sentence for a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old international student in Adelaide's north-east.

Ashton Friend, of Banksia Park, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless use of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident after causing the death of Samia Malik.

The District Court heard that Ms Malik had been kneeling on North East Road at Hillcrest for around four minutes before she was hit by Friend's car about 11pm on May 6, 2025.

In sentencing Friend on Tuesday, Judge Anne Barnett said CCTV vision showed Ms Malik's hands were in what looked like a "praying motion".

"He was absolutely at a loss about what had just happened. He hadn't been aware that there was something on the road. He heard this noise," defence barrister Jane Abbey KC submitted to the court.

"What he hoped was that it had been an animal, or something like that."

The court also heard that Friend had not seen Ms Malik nor realised he had hit her when he was driving home from his girlfriend's house.

Ms Abbey added that there was "relatively little" damage to Friend's car.

"He did not think he had hit a person. Initially, he just did not realise he had hit a person," she said.

In the days following the collision, Friend saw a news report about what had happened but was in a "state of paralysis".

Friend previously read an apology to the court in which he said he was "deeply sorry".

"I will have to carry my failures with me for as long as I live," he said.

Judge Barnett sentenced Friend to one year, three months and 29 days with a non-parole period of eight months.

The sentence was suspended upon the 20-year-old entering a bond to be of good behaviour for two years.