E-Paper
Man crashes car into White House security gate
The US Secret Service's uniformed division officers immediately arrested the man and searched his car, deeming it to be safe.
A man drove his car into a security barrier outside the White House on Tuesday night and was immediately arrested by Secret Service officers.
The incident took place around 10:37 pm on Tuesday at the security gate at a White House entrance, the US Secret Service said. The agency's uniformed division officers immediately arrested the man, it added.
In an official statement shared on X, the Secret Service said that investigators searched his car and deemed it safe.
Authorities are yet to provide any additional information regarding the crash, the arrested driver's identity, or any potential motive behind the incident.
Visuals from the incident from outside the White House have gone viral on social media.
WATCH:
The video shows officers from the Secret Service Police checking the crashed car, measuring it and taking photographs of the vehicle.
The agency said that further investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident, The New York Times reported, citing the Secret Service. While the road leading to the gate will remain closed until authorities tow away the vehicle, the White House was not placed on lockdown, the agency said.
The White House has been under the greater lens of attention amid the ongoing demolition of the East Wing building, where a new ballroom will be constructed.
ALSO READ | Trump's East Wing ballroom could cost $200 million; first white house photos out
This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred at the White House gates. Last year, in January and May, vehicle crashes were reported at the security gates.
In January 2024, a driver crashed into an exterior gate near the White House and was taken into custody. The US Secret Service had clarified that there was no risk to the complex or the adjacent neighbourhood. The then-President Joe Biden was not present inside the White House at the time of the incident.
Later in May, a man died after crashing into a security barrier near the White House, with the Secret Service saying that there was no threat or public safety implications, the NYT reported.
