Pictured: Ashleigh Petrie, 23 The tradie who ran over a young law clerk when she jumped in front of his car after her affair with a 71-year-old magistrate was revealed feels haunted by her, even though he never saw her alive. Not only does he relive the crash, but a 'cold' and 'emotionless' note sent to him by her lover Magistrate Robert Higgins, 71, after her death still baffles him. Moments after Daniel Macklin's brand new Toyota RAV4 ploughed into 23-year-old Ashleigh Petrie's body on Metung Road in eastern Victoria at 1am on October 9, 2019, he got out of the car and immediately tripped on her mangled remains. 'A girl popped out of the middle of nowhere. Not just popped out, she ran,' he told The Age in his first ever interview on Saturday. The 33-year-old called an ambulance and waited, trying desperately to quell growing fears that the body beneath the vehicle was his partner girlfriend - they were wearing similar clothes. He spotted her handbag sitting on the opposite side of the road, dived into it and retrieved a phone - the screen lit up with a photo of the woman with an older man, neither of whom he recognised. That man was Mr Higgins, who Ms Petrie had been dating and living with for four months after he left his wife for her, and was recently engaged. Pictured: Daniel Macklin, who hit and killed Ashleigh Petrie when she ran in front of his Toyota Miss Petrie is pictured with Mr Higgins, who proposed to her in September 2019 after a whirlwind romance Mr Macklin later cleared a police drug and alcohol test, before a detective told him there was nothing he could have done to avoid her, and added: 'I don't want you watching the news. This girl's well known.' Ms Petrie, who worked as a clerk, had been in the headlines for weeks over her affair with Victorian magistrate Mr Higgins, who was married and 68 years old at the time. Their relationship sparked a media frenzy due to the 45-year age gap, and potential power imbalances between high-ranking officials and staffers within the judicial system - even though Ms Petrie never framed her relationship with Higgins as abusive in any way. The media attention reached boiling point when Higgins popped the question to Ms Petrie on a holiday in Fiji. Hours later, she gushed on Instagram about her husband-to-be - flashing her newly bedazzled finger to all her followers with the caption: 'I said yes.' About a month later, she launched herself in front of Mr Macklin's car and changed his life forever. 'There are not many days that I don't think about her,' he told The Age. 'I never knew her, but I feel like she's like a little sister. I'll always be connected with her.' Mr Higgins proposed in 2019 during a romantic holiday in Fiji. Pictured: The couple on holiday Magistrate Rodney Higgins proposed to his girlfriend Ashleigh Petrie, 23, in September. She is pictured right and left with her ring He knows Ms Petrie's death was not his fault, but still feels responsible. After her death, reports about her mental health began to emerge. Ms Petrie was diagnosed as bipolar at 19, struggled with alcoholism, had a history of dating men who were significantly older than her, and made several attempts on her own life. Given her mental health situation - which the coroner said affected her until her death - Mr Macklin said he feels deeply sorry for Ms Petrie and is still puzzled by a typed note he received from Higgins, handed to him via the police. It read: 'Mate, she had mental-health problems, it was not your fault.' He thought it cold and lacked emotion, given that his young bride had died so suddenly. Pictured: The 68-year-old magistrate and 23-year-old court clerk (pictured) after getting engaged Mr Higgins previously told the ABC's Media Watch that Ms Petrie told him she was going for a walk to clear her head on the night of her death. He told the program that she sent him four or five texts and voice messages saying he couldn't cope with the media coverage, and that she loved him but that he would be better off without her. Mr Higgins said he waited for her to return before he went looking, and stumbled upon the scene of the accident. About 24 hours later, he was accused of asking about the young woman's $180,000 superannuation death benefit. The cash was allocated to her distraught mother, but was eventually paid to the wealthy judge because he claimed she was his dependant. Senior judicial figures were furious that Mr Higgins fought Ms Petrie's mother for her $180,000 super payout. Pictured: The couple at the beach Her mother, who earns a modest wage working in accounts compared with Mr Higgins' $324,000 salary, has been fighting the ruling for about 16 months. Outraged members of the public set up a Go Fund Me campaign to help her mother pay for her legal fees, and claim the money her daughter designated for her. Higgins also refused to let the mother listen to her daughter's final voice messages, and reportedly made an ill-fitting speech at her funeral in Werribee, west Melbourne - describing her as 'externally as attractive as a woman could possibly be'. He went on describe Ms Petrie's 'zest for life', before the language changed. Higgins publicly pointed to Ms Petrie's 'problems of anxiety and depression', before revealing she was on medication for a chemical imbalance in her brain. When he also revealed her battles with depression had intensified her 'shortcomings', and that she constantly needed reassurance, her angry mother intervened. 'I think that's enough,' Ms Petrie's mother said loudly, causing Mr Higgins to quickly sit down and end his 'tribute'. Pictured: Ashleigh Petrie and Rod Higgins at the local pub. She often shared selfies with the magistrate on social media After Ms Petrie's death, Mr Higgins moved back to the riverside home in Shepparton he shared with his ex-wife, Lurline Le Neuf, to resume their 18-year relationship. Stuart Gowty, 50, who dated Ms Petrie for five years, previously told Daily Mail Australia of his disgust and bitterness at Mr Higgins winning Miss Petrie's superannuation. 'Here's a guy earning a hell of a lot of money and is about to retire on a huge pension,' said Mr Gowty, who runs a picture framing business in Shepparton. 'And you've got a grieving mother with very little. I don't know what to say. I don't think it's the right thing. It's horrendous to see. It just keeps going. 'I know her mother very well and she's a grieving mother. I've maintained a close relationship with the mother and brother since. 'Every time something like this happens, it just brings up a whole heap of old wounds.' In June, thousands of angry Australians signed a petition demanding the super fund pay the cash to Ms Petrie's mother. If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, for free confidential support. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility