R.I. Governor McKee calls on RIPTA board to meet to review CEO Avedisian’s hit-and-run crash
Governor Dan McKee is calling for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority board to hold a special meeting, after RIPTA’s CEO, Scott Avedisian, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to leaving the scene of a three-car collision last week in the drive-through line of a Warwick McDonalds. Governor Dan McKee has called for a special meeting of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority board (RIPTA) CEO, Scott Avedisian, to review his involvement in a hit-and-run accident last week. The incident occurred at a Warwick McDonalds drive-through where Avedishian was driving a RIPTA-issued Ford Explorer was involved in a three-car collision. If convicted of leaving the scene of an accident where a vehicle is damaged, he could face fines up to $1,000, lose his license for up to six months, or possibly spend up to eight months in prison. Avedissian, who was appointed to lead RIPTA in 2018, was fingerprinted and photographed at Warwick Police Department after his arraignment.
Pubblicato : un mese fa di Brittany Bowker in Business Politics General
RIPTA is a quasi-public state agency governed by a board of directors made up of members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.
“Governor McKee urges the RIPTA board to convene a special meeting to review the facts of the Avedisian matter and follow the appropriate human resources protocols,” McKee’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
Governor Dan McKee is calling for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority board to hold a special meeting, after RIPTA’s CEO, Scott Avedisian, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to leaving the scene of a three-car collision last week in the drive- through line of a Warwick McDonalds.
Avedisian, the former Warwick mayor, was appointed to lead RIPTA in 2018. He appeared in Kent County District Court on Wednesday, and was arraigned on the misdemeanor charge. He was fingerprinted and photographed at Warwick Police Department as part of processing after his arraignment, according to a police report.
Last Wednesday at around 6:15 p.m., Avedisian was driving a black RIPTA-issued Ford Explorer in the McDonald’s drive-through at 820 Post Road. He had just ordered his food, drove forward, and rear-ended a Mercedes in front of him driven by Dominic Kaba, according to a police report. Kaba’s car then hit a Toyota in front of it driven by Ariana Andrade, whose 3-year-old child was in the backseat, WPRI reported.
Avedisian told both drivers to “pull aside” to get his insurance information, but as they did, Avedisian drove off, according to the police report. Kaba was able to get a photo of Avedisian’s license plate as he drove away, taking a right-hand turn out of the parking lot onto Post Road.
Avedisian “may have been under the influence,” Kaba said in his statement to police, adding that when Avedisian exited the vehicle, he “didn’t say many words, was in shock, eyes blood shot red.”
Both Kaba and Andrade said they want to press charges, according to statements to police.
After the collision, officers attempted to speak with Avedisian at his home, noting “the engine block of his vehicle was still warm,” according to the police report. Avedisian didn’t answer the door after multiple attempts from officers.
Avedisian’s lawyer, John Harwood, said he didn’t have enough information Thursday to comment on behalf of his client. Avedisian also couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
If convicted of leaving the scene of an accident where a vehicle is damaged, Avedisian could be fined up to $1,000, lose his license for up to six months, or possibly spend up to six months in prison, according to state law.
Avedisian was involved in a rollover crash in Warwick in 2022. In that incident, police said that he lost control of his SUV, swerved, and hit a utility pole before the SUV flipped over. He was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and later released.
Avedisian served as mayor of Warwick from 2000 to 2018, when he was selected by then-governor Gina Raimondo to head the state’s transportation authority. Before serving as mayor, he represented Ward 1 in the Warwick City Council from 1990 to 2000.
Brittany Bowker can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @brittbowker and also on Instagram @brittbowker.
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