Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Crash Data

Cops Charge the Driver Who Hit and Killed Former Columbia University Professor

Police on Wednesday arrested the 24-year-old driver who hit and killed the former Columbia University professor and dean Peter Awn in January.

Police have arrested the driver who hit and killed former Columbia University professor and dean Peter Awn near the Morningside Heights campus in January — a death that stunned the entire campus community.

Cops cuffed 24-year-old Shiv Kumar, who lives in Queens, on Wednesday afternoon and charged him with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care when he drove his 2015 Toyota Highlander into Awn as the 75-year-old academic crossed Claremont Avenue at W. 116th Street on Jan. 25 at about 6:30 p.m.

Awn suffered severe head trauma and died on Feb. 17. Awn was a beloved figure on the Columbia campus, where he taught for 20 years, most recently as a top dean. He had retired in 2017.

“Since his arrival on the Columbia campus more than four decades ago, no one has been a more beloved member of our community than Peter,” said Columbia University President Lee Bollinger. “The grief we feel at his loss is overwhelming.

Kumar had stayed on the scene of the crash. Neither police nor the Manhattan District Attorney's Office could say why it took two months to charge him.

Kumar faces a maximum of 30 days in jail. Such sentences are rare, although it does happen. In October, a Manhattan judge sentenced the bus driver who killed Citi Bike rider Dan Hanegby to jail for 30 days. He might have avoided jail time if he had pleaded guilty to the charge.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025

‘Blood On His Hands’: Cyclists Slam Eric Adams After Judge Lets Him Remove Brooklyn Bike Lane

Mayor Adams will have “blood on his hands” for his decision to rip up three blocks of the popular protected bike lane.

July 10, 2025
See all posts