More than a month after Indian international student Komalpreet Kaur was hit and killed by a car in a Perth shopping mall car park, a teenage driver has been charged over the incident.Western Australia Police say a 19-year-old man from Forrestfield has been charged with causing death by careless driving following a crash at Bentley Place in Perth’s southeast on May 16.Kaur, 19, was hit by a blue Hyundai i30 in a shopping center car park at around 11.30pm and became trapped underneath the car. She was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries but later died.The defendant will appear in court on July 3.The tragedy has shocked Perth’s Indian community. Kaur hails from Ludhiana in Punjab and moved to Australia in July 2025 to continue her studies. She attended Stanley College where she studied community service. Kaul was working part-time while building a new life in Australia.Friends remembered her as a smart, determined and ambitious young woman, Australia Today reported.“She was charming and always had a smile on her face. She filled our lives with happiness,” said friend Sakshi Rupal.Witnesses described chaotic scenes after the collision, with bystanders rushing to help pull Kaul out from under the car.Nathan Burge, who was at the scene, recalled hearing a loud crash and calling for help from nearby shoppers.“I started yelling, ‘Any man, any man,’ and I pointed at people and told them to come over, ‘Any male, any male,’ and I wanted to turn that car over,” he said.“We ended up with 10 or 12 people involved… and we got [the car] She got up and someone pulled her out. “According to witnesses, a woman in the crowd immediately began CPR before paramedics arrived and took Kaur to hospital.Police previously said the driver and Kaur knew each other. After the accident, the driver also begged to call an ambulance.In the weeks following her death, community members launched a fundraising campaign to support her family. The fundraiser’s initial target of raising $50,000 was exceeded, raising more than $82,000 to cover funeral costs, memorial service arrangements and the cost of transporting her body back to India.“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Komalpreet Kaur, a beautiful 19-year-old young woman who tragically passed away in a car accident in Perth, Australia,” organizer Harpinder Singh Kaler wrote on the fundraising page.The appeal said: “Komalpreet was full of life, kindness and dreams for the future. Her sudden death has left her family and friends devastated and struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy.”“We are raising funds to support Komalpreet’s family through this extremely difficult time. These donations will help to cover the funeral costs, memorial service arrangements and the considerable cost of transporting her body back to India so that she can rest in peace in her home country and be with her loved ones. This is a huge burden on the family, both emotionally and financially. Any donation, no matter how small, will provide much-needed support to help Komalpreet return home to her family.“Kaur’s father, Amrik Singh, is a retired Subedar soldier from the Indian Army.
