Hopkinton Man Charged In Fatal Richmond Crash

RICHMOND, RI — A Hopkinton man has been charged in connection with a July 1 Richmond crash that left a Wakefield lawyer dead and his wife seriously injured.

Rosheed F. Faison, 40, was arraigned today in 4th District Court on felony counts of driving to endanger, death resulting and of driving to endanger, injury resulting, the Richmond Police Department announced in a news release.

Police say on July 1 at around 3:45 p.m. Faison was heading east on Rt. 138 in his 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck when he veered into the oncoming lane in front of the Richmond Elementary School and slammed head-on into a 2019 Subaru Outback.

Attorney H. Jefferson Melish, 73, who was driving the Subaru, was killed. His wife, Joanne Melish, 74, was seriously injured.

Richmond police, assisted by Rhode Island State Police, reconstructed the accident, interviewed witnesses, reviewed surveillance video captured by security cameras at the school, and analyzed black box data from both vehicles. The investigation yielded probable cause to support that Faison operated his vehicle with "reckless disregard" for the safety of others, causing the crash, the police department said.

The case will be presented to the Office of the Attorney General for felony screening on November 5.

Melish was known for his commitment to civil rights and social justice, and was a longtime volunteer lawyer with the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, according to RICentral.