Avedisian pleads no contest in Warwick hit-and-run

Former Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) CEO Scott Avedisian in a Kent County District Court appearance Wednesday morning pleaded no contest to an alleged hit-and-run in Warwick in late March.

Avedisian, 59, accepted a deal with prosecutors regarding misdemeanor charges in connection with a March 27 fender bender in the drive-thru of the McDonald’s at 820 Post Road. Avedisian was accused of leaving the scene after a collision involving two other vehicles. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment on April 5.

Under the deal, the charge was filed for six months. The misdemeanor charge will remain on Avedisian’s record for that time and will be expunged afterward if he stays out of trouble with the law.

Avedisian’s attorney, former Rhode Island House Speaker John Harwood, did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

According to Warwick police, the collision between Avedisian’s RIPTA-issued black Ford SUV and the 2010 Mercedes in front of it caused the Mercedes to hit the 2013 Toyota Camry in front of it. No injuries were reported, but both drivers told police they wanted to press charges.

Facing mounting scrutiny over the alleged incident, Avedisian resigned from his post as RITPA’s CEO on April 11 — a position he held since he was appointed by then-Gov. Gina Raimondo in 2018. The bus agency’s board of directors on April 16 voted 7-0 to accept his departure and agreed to a $67,823 severance package.

Before his appointment to RIPTA in 2018, Avedisian served nearly two decades as the Republican mayor of Warwick. Before that, he was a city councilor from 1990 to 2000.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the disposition of Avedisian’s case. He was not placed on probation.