WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — R.I. Public Transit Authority CEO Scott Avedisian will be charged with one misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident after a fender bender in a McDonald's drive-thru last week.

Warwick Police Col. Bradford Connor confirmed Avedisian will be formally charged when he appears in Kent County District Court later this week.

Court records show Avedisian was driving his RIPTA-issued black Ford SUV at the time of last Wednesday's incident, and he was cited for failing to report the crash to police.

The incident occurred at about 6:15 p.m. at the McDonald’s on Post Road.

Avedisian is accused of rear-ending a car in front of him, then motioning the other driver to pull over into the parking lot and wait. Avedisian then drove off, according to police.

A person convicted of leaving the scene of an accident where a vehicle is damaged can be fined up to $1,000, lose their license for up to six months and even face up to six months in prison, according to state law.

On Friday a Target 12 photographer captured video of a Warwick police officer taking measurements and photographs of the RIPTA vehicle parked in the driveway of Avedisian’s home.

Misdemeanor charges are usually handled at the local level by city or town solicitors. But Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed his office will be handling the prosecution because there was a conflict with the solicitor in this case.

Cristy Raposa, a RIPTA spokesperson said in an email, "We do not have a comment at this time as there is a pending investigation."

She confirmed Avedisian remains "an active RIPTA employee," and said he had "previously scheduled" paid-time off on Friday and Monday. Avedisian refused to answer questions outside his Warwick home on Monday.

This isn’t the first time Avedisian’s driving has made headlines. In 2022, Warwick police said the RIPTA chief lost control of his car on a Sunday night, swerved off the road and hit a telephone pole.