Undergraduate cyclist struck by University employee sues for damages

An undergraduate cyclist who was hit and trapped under a car is now suing the University, the Princeton employee driving the vehicle, and the vehicle’s owner.

In a civil complaint filed in Mercer County Superior Court on June 2, Aiden Shah ’29 alleged that University employee Antonio Frink had “failed to stop at the stop sign” while driving on Elm Drive by Richardson Auditorium, resulting in a crash with Shah, who was on his bicycle. At the time of the accident, student witnesses reported several firefighters and Public Safety officers attempting to lift the car, eventually pulling Shah out from underneath.

The lawsuit was first reported by the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Shah sustained significant injuries from the crash, including “a broken right arm, broken ribs, head injury, [and] a tendon rupture in the right hand,” according to the complaint. He is seeking an unspecified amount in damages with interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs of the suit from the defendants. 

Frink was hired in October 2025 by the University to work in Building Services. The complaint states that Frink has admitted to failing to stop at the stop sign. He was issued a motor vehicle citation immediately after the accident, according to an April statement from University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill.

Shah’s complaint alleges that Frink had committed “serial motor vehicle violations” prior to the crash in April “which Princeton University should have been aware of,” and hence that the University “proximately caused the plaintiff’s injuries from the subject accident.”

Shah’s attorney for the lawsuit is Scott A. Parsons, a partner at the law firm O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble based in Springfield, N.J. Shah and Parsons both declined to comment, citing the ongoing lawsuit.

The University declined to comment on the suit and on Frink’s employment status. Frink is no longer listed on the University’s directory of employees as of Thursday. While separated employees’ email accounts are typically quickly deactivated, Frink’s email account appears to remain active. Frink did not respond to a request for comment. Maxine Frink, mother of Antonio Frink and owner of the vehicle involved in the crash, declined to comment.

Shah is from Madison, N.J. and is a member of Mathey College. He is majoring in civil and environmental engineering, and is a leader in the Princeton University Ecology Representative (EcoReps) Program.

According to the court filing, the defendants have until early August to respond to the suit. 

Haeon Lee is the associate News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading research coverage. She is from Brooklyn, N.Y. and often covers campus research and academic departments. She can be reached at hl1389[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.