A suspected drunk driver crashed into another vehicle early Thursday on South State Street, sending a car into the front of The State Room, the Salt Lake City music venue at 638 S. State St. One person suffered minor injuries, and the venue is now racing to reopen in time for two shows this weekend.
Two-vehicle collision ends at venue’s front door
The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. when one vehicle struck another and caused it to roll over, FOX 13 News Utah reported. One vehicle crashed into the venue, causing considerable damage to the front of the building. Police said one person suffered minor injuries and the driver was arrested on DUI charges.
ABC4 reported, citing Salt Lake City police, that the crash happened just after 1:40 a.m. and that the driver, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, was taken to the hospital.
No one was inside the building at the time. In a statement, the venue said no one was seriously hurt and that no patrons or staff were present.
Weekend shows hang in the balance
The State Room said it is assessing the damage before committing to upcoming shows. “We’re doing everything we can to get back up and running for the shows this weekend, but we ask for some patience and understanding as things may evolve,” the venue said.
Two shows are on the calendar. Singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan is scheduled to play Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m., according to JamBase, and Pink Talking Fish, a band that fuses the music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish, is set for Sunday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m., per ticket listings.
The strictest limit in the country
Whatever charges the driver ultimately faces will be weighed under the toughest impaired-driving standard in the nation. Utah became the first and only state to lower its legal blood alcohol limit for drivers from 0.08% to 0.05%, a change that took effect Dec. 30, 2018, Hoodline reported.
Under Utah law, a standard DUI is a class B misdemeanor, but the charge can rise to a class A misdemeanor when someone is injured and to a third-degree felony when the injury is serious.
Penalties for the most impaired drivers also got tougher this year. Since Jan. 1, under HB 437, anyone convicted of an extreme DUI — a blood alcohol level of 0.16% or higher, or driving above the 0.05% limit with illegal substances present — can be designated an “interdicted person” and barred from buying alcohol, KSL reported. Their licenses carry a red “NO ALCOHOL SALE” banner, according to the Utah Driver License Division, and the same law requires alcohol sellers to check every customer’s ID. The driver’s blood alcohol level in Thursday’s crash has not been released.
Does the lower limit work?
The research is mixed. A study published in June in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, led by Colorado State University’s Kaigang Li, found that alcohol-related crash deaths fell significantly more in Utah after the change than in its six neighboring states, while deaths from crashes not involving alcohol showed no comparable change, according to the journal’s publisher.
But a KSL analysis found the deadliest year in more than a decade of state data came after the law changed, with 67 deaths in 2022. It also found that only 6% of 2024 DUI arrests involved drivers between the new 0.05% limit and the old 0.08% standard. The average arrested driver was at 0.15%, about three times the legal limit.
State figures show the scale of the problem. Utah officers made 10,923 DUI arrests in fiscal year 2025, about 30 a day, and arrested drivers had an average blood alcohol level of 0.14%, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety. Alcohol-related crashes can result in fatalities.
What’s still unknown
Police have not released the driver’s name, blood alcohol level or formal booking charges. The injured driver was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The State Room has not said how extensive the repairs will be or whether Friday’s and Sunday’s shows will go on as scheduled.
