More than a month after Indian international student Komalpreet Kaur was hit and killed by a car in a Perth shopping centre carpark, a teenage driver has now been charged over the incident.
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Western Australia Police said a 19-year-old man from Forrestfield was charged with careless driving causing death following an investigation into the crash at Bentley Plaza in Perth's south-east on May 16.
19-year-old Kaur was hit by a blue Hyundai i30 in the shopping centre carpark at about 11. 30pm and became trapped beneath the vehicle. She was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with critical injuries but later died.
The accused is due to appear in court on 3 July.
The tragedy shocked Perth's Indian community. Kaur was originally from Ludhiana in Punjab and had moved to Australia in July 2025 to pursue her studies. She was enrolled in community services at Stanley College. Kaur was also working part-time while building a new life in Australia.
Friends remembered her as a bright and determined young woman with big ambitions, reports Australia Today.
“She was charming, always smiling. She filled our lives with happiness,” friend Sakshi Rupal said.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes immediately after the collision, with bystanders rushing to help free Kaur from underneath the car.
Nathan Burge, who was at the scene, recalled hearing a loud impact before asking nearby shoppers for assistance.
“I just started to yell out, ‘Any man, any man’, I’m pointing at people, getting them over, ‘Any male, any male’, I wanted to flip that car over,” he said.
“We ended up with a good 10 to 12 people on it … we got [the car] up and someone pulled her out.”
According to witnesses, a woman from the crowd immediately began CPR before paramedics arrived and rushed Kaur to hospital.
Police previously said the driver and Kaur were known to each other. The driver was also pleading for an ambulance to be called following the crash.
In the weeks after her death, community members launched a fundraising campaign to support her family. The fundraiser initially aimed to raise A$50,000 but surpassed its target and raised more than A$82,000 to help cover funeral expenses, memorial arrangements and the cost of returning her body to India.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking loss of Komalpreet Kaur, a beautiful 19-year-old young woman who tragically passed away in a car accident in Perth, Australia,” organiser Harpinder Singh Kaler wrote on the fundraising page.
“Komalpreet was full of life, kindness, and dreams for the future. Her sudden passing has left her family and friends devastated and struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy,” the appeal said.
“We are raising funds to support Komalpreet's family during this incredibly difficult time. The donations will help cover funeral expenses, memorial arrangements, and the significant costs involved in repatriating her body to India so that she can be laid to rest in her homeland, surrounded by her loved ones. This is an overwhelming burden for the family, both emotionally and financially. Any contribution, no matter how small, will provide much-needed support and help bring Komalpreet home to her family.”
Kaur's father, Amrik Singh, is a retired Subedar from the Indian Army.
