Family of Zack Hunt ‘let down’ by legal system after Alicia Pickett ran him over, fled the scene then shaved her head

A family has been left ‘devastated’ after hearing the bizarre act a woman pulled after she had run over their son believing he was a log on the road.

Alicia Pickett ran over what she thought was a log and it turned out to be Zack Hunt.

A young woman who ran over what she thought was a log – that turned out to be a person lying on the road – has told a court when she found out she had run over a man, she went home and shaved her head.

Alicia Barbara Frances Pickett sobbed in the South Australian District Court on Thursday morning as her lawyer explained what had actually happened on the night of August 30, 2023.

Pickett, now 30, was behind the wheel of her Holden station wagon when she collided with 32-year-old father Zack Hunt on Johnston Rd, Elizabeth Downs at about 1am.

Mr Hunt had been lying on the road, wearing dark clothing, when Pickett ran over him. He died at the scene.

Pickett was travelling at a speed between 63-69km/h, the court heard, in what was signed as a 50km/h zone.

She was originally charged with causing his death by dangerous driving, however in court on Thursday, she appeared after pleading guilty to the charges of careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Alicia Pickett ran over Zack Hunt in August last year. Picture: Facebook

She told a court she went home and shaved her head after running the man over. Picture: Facebook

The prosecutor told Judge Paul Muscat that Pickett hadn’t caused Mr Hunt’s death, but that his death was a result of injuries sustained during that collision – causing Judge Muscat to question why they hadn’t proceeded with a charge of that nature.

“It is not asserted by the Director that she has caused the death of Mr Hunt. Had Ms Pickett been travelling at the 50km/h speed limit, she still would not have had the required illumination to have detected, perceived or reacted to Mr Hunt’s body that was on the road,” the prosecutor said.

“The seriousness of this offending really lies with count 2, which is leaving the scene. It is the prosecution’s perspective that she realised she had run over someone’s body and had not rendered assistance.”

“So you’re telling me that her driving that night was not the cause of the death of the deceased?” Judge Muscat asked.

“His cause of death stems from a car running over his body, but it’s not suggested by the Director that Ms Pickett could have perceived Mr Hunt’s body lying on the road in all black clothing and stopped in time to prevent the death,” the prosecutor said.

Judge Muscat said it was a terrible outcome for the family. “I feel sorry for them,” he said.

Zack Hunt died after being run over. Picture: Facebook

Zack Hunt. Picture: Facebook

“I think they’ve been let down by the system, but there’s nothing I can do about that.”

Angelina Pascale, for Pickett, conceded her client had left the scene immediately after the impact, and went to a pub where a friend then informed her that she had in fact hit a person, not a log.

Pickett then went home, but later handed herself in to police.

Ms Pascale said that once her client got home, she had a shower and shaved her head.

“Why did she do that if she didn’t know she had run over a person?” Judge Muscat asked.

“She instructs that she decided to shower, and one of her coping methods is to groom herself and clean herself, and in that process she shaved her head which is something she would ordinarily do,” Ms Pascale said.

“I’m finding all of this almost impossible to accept,” Judge Muscat said.

Pickett will return to court in January for further submissions.

Outside court, Zack’s father Craig Hunt said his family was devastated at the loss of their son.