The man was quickly arrested by officers from the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division.
A man was taken into custody after crashing his car into a security barrier near the White House late Tuesday night. The US Secret Service said the crash happened around 10:37 p.m. when the man drove his vehicle into a security gate at one of the White House entrances.
The man was quickly arrested by officers from the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division. Officials confirmed that investigators searched the car and found it to be safe. “Investigators searched his car and deemed it to be safe,” the agency said in a statement.
Authorities have not yet revealed the man’s identity or the reason behind the crash. The Secret Service said they are continuing to investigate the matter.
Visuals from the scene went viral on social media shortly after the crash. The footage shows Secret Service officers inspecting the damaged vehicle, taking photos, and marking the area. The car appeared to have sustained heavy damage at the front.
According to the Secret Service, former US President Donald Trump was inside the White House when the incident occurred. The road near the gate was temporarily closed while the damaged car was towed away. However, the White House itself was not placed under lockdown.
This is not the first time a vehicle has rammed into the security barriers outside the White House. Similar incidents were reported last year, in both January and May. These repeated breaches have raised questions about security around the presidential residence.
The crash comes just days after a suspicious hunting stand was discovered near Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. The structure had a clear view of the area where President Trump was expected to exit Air Force One on Sunday.
Officials are investigating whether the hunting stand posed any security threat.
In a similar case earlier this year, a Massachusetts man was found carrying a gun after taking a US Capitol tour. He had also visited the nearby Library of Congress in January.
The US Secret Service and DC Metropolitan Police later located him at a Washington hotel. They questioned him and searched his room, but no weapon was found at the time. However, later reports revealed the man had managed to pass through Capitol security with a firearm during a public tour.
