Man arrested for DUI after car crashes into Providence restaurant

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A late-night crash left a Federal Hill restaurant heavily damaged, marking the second time in weeks that a vehicle has slammed into the same business.

Providence police were called to West Fountain Street late Sunday after an SUV drove into Y Shabu Shabu.

Moments before impact

Video posted online by restaurant owner Yixuan Han shows an orange SUV traveling along Winter Street right before the crash.

Police say that around 11:45 p.m., the SUV failed to stop at an intersection and veered into the restaurant. The vehicle also struck a nearby tree, and a loud crash can be heard in the footage.

Footage recorded inside the restaurant shows the SUV tearing through part of the structure taking down part of a wall and destroying windows.

Staff members who were inside the restaurant when the crash occurred notified Han of the damage.

Police response and charges

Police arrested the driver, 43-year-old Juan Rodriguez of Providence, at the scene.

Rodriguez was charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, and nine traffic offenses.

Police said the SUV was unregistered and had mismatched plates, and that Rodriguez had no valid driver’s license or proof of insurance.

A female passenger was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation.

The SUV sustained severe front-end damage and was towed from the area.

Officers reported observing multiple indicators of impairment. These included slurred speech, unsteady movements, and bloodshot, watery eyes.

At police headquarters, Rodriguez acknowledged he was driving and admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the evening. Police said he refused to submit to a chemical blood test.

Previous incident

The restaurant was also damaged in a separate crash less than a month earlier.

On December 28, officers responded to the location around 1 a.m. for reports that a vehicle had struck the front of the building and fled.

Police said the crash caused damage to the front entrance and part of the foundation. The building was empty at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Surveillance video from that incident shows a truck driving directly into the entrance before backing away and leaving the scene. A vehicle with a partial license plate reading “2AR” has not been located.