PROVIDENCE — The head of Rhode Island’s public transit agency is resigning following his recent arrest in a hit-and-run crash in a McDonald’s drive-thru.
Scott Avedisian, who is also the former mayor of Warwick, submitted a resignation letter to Governor Dan McKee on Thursday.
“I regret that the good work of the employees is being detracted by my actions,” Avedisian wrote, following a list of the agency’s accomplishments. “Therefore, I respectfully submit my resignation and ask that the Board of Directors terminate my contract.”
R.I. Director of Transportation Peter Alviti, who is the chair of the RIPTA board, said the agency’s lawyers are still finalizing the terms of the separation agreement, and the board will meet on Tuesday to vote to approve or reject the termination. Avedisian remains the CEO until a vote is taken, Alviti said.
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It’s unclear what sort of severance payment — if any — Avedisian will receive. His contract allows for up to six months’ pay in the case of a termination, depending on the reason. Alviti declined to comment on whether Avedisian violated the terms of his contract.
Avedisian currently makes $182,000 annually as the head of the transit agency.
Alviti announced Avedisian’s resignation after the board met behind closed doors for more than a hour on Thursday in a special meeting. Avedisian did not attend the meeting, and his lawyer did not immediately comment.
Avedisian, 59, has been charged with leaving the scene of the March 27 crash on Post Road in Warwick. Police say Avedisian drove his RIPTA-issued Ford Explorer SUV into the car in front of him in the drive-thru, causing that car to hit another vehicle.
The driver of the Explorer — who police later identified as Avedisian — told the other drivers to pull over before he just “booked it,” one witness told Warwick Police. That witness’ account was captured on body-worn camera video released earlier this week.
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The young man told police the driver that hit his car had bloodshot eyes and “definitely wasn’t straight,” responding to an officer’s question about whether the driver in the hit-and-run seemed intoxicated.
Another witness, a passenger who was feeding her baby in the drive-thru at the time of the crash, said the SUV driver “looked very intoxicated.”
Police said Avedisian did not come to the door at his Warwick home when they knocked, though the RIPTA SUV was in the driveway and the engine was still warm.
Avedisian has not been charged with driving under the influence, and has pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.
Colonel Bradford Connor, the Warwick police chief, told the Globe this week police would not be able to prove a DUI charge because they were not able to make contact with Avedisian in the aftermath of the crash.
“We did not have observations or personal contact with him after the accident, so it would be impossible to allege a DUI,” Connor said.
Avedisian is due back in court on April 25.
He has served as CEO of the state’s public transit agency since 2018 after nearly two decades as the Republican mayor of Warwick.
In his resignation letter, Avedisian touted a series of improvements made under his leadership, including an electric in-line bus charging station, a $17 million downtown bus corridor in Providence, free summer bus service in Newport, and the Pawtucket-Central Falls transit center, among other items.
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“Regrettably, all of these initiatives are now being overshadowed by recent events,” Avedisian said.
Even before its CEO’s legal troubles, RIPTA has been facing broader challenges. That includes budget deficits, a driver shortage, and controversy over the location of its Providence bus hub. The change in leadership also comes just a year after legislators gave the state Department of Transportation director a larger role on RIPTA’s board of directors.
The board is expected to make a decision about an interim CEO at Tuesday’s meeting, according to a spokesperson.
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, an Avedisian critic, said Rhode Islanders deserve a “robust, accessible public transit system that effectively and efficiently serves residents and visitors.”
“I am hopeful that the RIPTA board will seize the opportunity they now have to conduct a thorough search for their next CEO and bring in a true transit professional to guide the agency through the many challenges it faces,” he said.
Brian Amaral can be reached at brian.amaral@globe.com. Follow him @bamaral44. Steph Machado can be reached at steph.machado@globe.com. Follow her @StephMachado.