Providence police: Mom drove drunk with her 4 kids in car, caused crash

PROVIDENCE -- A Providence woman was charged with driving under the influence after police said she blew a red light and caused a crash on North Main Street Tuesday night.

Natasha Mitchell, 32, was drinking while driving and had her four children in the car leading up to the crash, police said. Her children, from 7 months old to 9 years old, suffered minor cuts and bruises, while Mitchell herself was bleeding heavily from a head wound, according to police.

Witnesses told police that an Audi A4 heading east on Randall Street had the green light and was entering the intersection of North Main Street when Mitchell’s car, a Nissan Sentra, went through a red light. The front end of the Audi struck the right side of Mitchell’s Sentra, sending the Sentra onto the median of North Main Street, where it hit a pedestrian walkway device, police said.

The driver of the Audi didn’t complain of any pain. Police responded to the scene at about 8:30 p.m.

When police were looking in Mitchell’s car for registration and insurance, they found a large package of small bottles of Evan Williams bourbon whiskey, including some that were open on the driver’s seat.

Mitchell had the smell of booze on her breath, police said, and was so “belligerent” that she wasn’t letting rescue personnel treat her children, police said. Police later had to stop the investigation so she could be treated at Rhode Island Hospital. Her children were later taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

Mitchell was given a court date on a DUI charge and given traffic summonses for no child restraint, operating with a cancelled registration, improper use of registration, obedience to devices, operating without insurance, conditions requiring reduced speed, and injury to signs or devices, police said.