The head honcho of Rhode Island's public buses is in the hot seat after allegedly hightailing it from a crash scene. Scott Avedisian, head of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), is under investigation for a drive-thru demolition derby that he's suspected to have kick-started and then ditched, according to court docs cited by The Boston Globe.
Wednesday evening around 6 p.m., trouble started brewing at the McDonald’s on Post Road in Warwick when a black SUV believed to be Avedisian's played bumper cars, rear-ending a vehicle that subsequently hit another car in the line. Avedisian then allegedly motioned for the other driver to pull over before deciding to quickly drive off the scene, The Providence Journal reports. The ex-mayor is said to have failed to leave his details, notify the cops, or check on the other drivers, according to the summons filed against him.
There were no injuries reported, just some minor vehicular bruising. But this isn't Avedisian's first time at the rodeo; he had a scary mix-up with an SUV flipping over in Warwick just two years back, though walked away with no serious injuries. A history in public service that dances back to the '90s as Warwick's mayor and city council member before climbing aboard RIPTA as its CEO in 2018, Avedisian now faces accusations that surely don't jive with his reputed track record.
Warwick's Police Chief Bradford Connor has kept his cards close, not naming Avedisian directly to the press but has confirmed ongoing probes into the incident. "Initial report is that the subject rear-ended the car in front of him and motioned for the other operator to pull over in the parking lot and wait — and then the subject took off," Connor told WPRI. Meanwhile, the court has yet to lay down any charges on the alleged hit-and-run suspect as the investigation continues to unfold.
As for RIPTA and Avedisian himself, lips are sealed with no immediate response coming from either camp in the wake of these allegations. The spotlight on the island's transit authority couldn't come at a less convenient time as RIPTA faces the challenge of contending with traffic snarls brought forth by construction and detours. It remains to be seen how this bumpy ride for RIPTA's top brass will shake out in the court of public opinion and the legal arena.
