A young Indian-origin Adelaide family has been left devastated after a father-of-two was fatally struck while jump-starting his car in the emergency lane of a major motorway, with the driver accused of causing his death granted bail a day later.

Sandy Sandhu, 33, also known as Sarabdial Singh, was hit just after midnight on Sunday on the North–South Motorway at Dry Creek, about 12 kilometres north of the CBD.

In a statement shared by the victim’s family, his wife said the crash happened while her husband was outside their car trying to jump-start it, when a driver allegedly under the influence struck him.

She described the impact as sudden and violent, saying,

“In a matter of seconds, everything we knew was taken from us”.

She said he suffered catastrophic injuries, including the loss of a leg at the scene, multiple broken ribs and severe injuries to his pelvis and internal organs. He was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency treatment, receiving large-volume blood transfusions as doctors attempted to stabilise him, but she said he later died from the extent of his injuries.

“We are not only grieving the love of our lives, but also trying to understand how to move forward without him. The pain is indescribable”

The woman said her husband leaves behind two young children, a baby girl and a baby boy, and that she is in Australia on a student visa. She said she is now facing the loss “alone in a foreign country”, adding that the family is struggling to comprehend how to move forward.

Sandy’s wife, Parabhjit Kaur, told 7NEWS that the loss had shattered the family. “I lost my husband. My kids lost their father,” she said, describing him as the “best part” of her life.

The couple’s two children – a baby girl and a baby boy – are now without their father. In an online fundraising appeal, Prabhjit said her husband had been outside attempting to start the vehicle when he was struck in what she described as a sudden and violent impact. She said doctors had carried out extensive transfusions in an effort to save him, but he was unable to recover from his injuries.

Sandhu’s brother, Sikandar Singh, witnessed the aftermath and told reporters the car had been positioned well within the emergency lane. He said he was with his brother as he lay critically injured and recalled him asking that his children and family be cared for.

Police have charged a 22-year-old driver with causing death by dangerous driving and leaving the scene of a crash. He has not yet entered pleas.

It is reported by 7NEWs that the prosecutors told the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Monday that witnesses had observed the ute swerving before the collision. One witness allegedly stopped and saw a severed leg on the roadway before hearing the victim calling out.

It is further reported that the police allege the driver fled the scene. The driver was granted bail after spending one night in custody and is due to reappear in court in June.

The decision to grant bail has angered Sandhu’s family. His brother, Harman Singh, said they were struggling to understand how the accused had been released while they faced what he described as a “life sentence” of grief. Ms Kaur said she hoped justice would follow through the courts.

A fundraising campaign established to support the family had raised more than $70,000 by Wednesday, as relatives and friends rallied around the young mother, who is in Australia on a student visa.

Investigations into the crash are continuing.

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