A driver crashed into a White House gate Monday evening, the Secret Service said in a statement posted to Twitter.
“Not long after 6 p.m., a vehicle collided with the exterior White House gate,” Chief of Communications for the United States Secret Service Anthony Guglielmi posted in a statement on Twitter. President Joe Biden was not at the White House at the time of the collision as he is traveling from South Carolina to Texas to pay respects to late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
The driver of the vehicle has been taken into custody, and the Secret Service is investigating the manner of the collision and the motive behind the crash. Secret Service pointed the Daily Caller to Guglielmi’s tweet when asked to confirm the incident.
Shortly before 6p.m., a vehicle collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex. The driver has been taken into custody & we are investigating the cause & manner of the collision. Expect traffic implications at 15th Street & Pennsylvania Ave & adjacent intersections. pic.twitter.com/n3M7zsFkvm
— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) January 8, 2024
While Biden was leaving his campaign headquarters in Delaware in December, a car apparently smashed into a parked SUV that was part of the president’s motorcade. The president was walking towards the motorcade at the time of the crash and was then rushed into a vehicle by Secret Service agents. Biden was unharmed. (RELATED: This Is What Rushing To Safety Looks Like When The President Is 81)
White House pool report says car crashed into a Biden motorcade vehicle blocking off road. President and First Lady were leaving a dinner with campaign staff when the crash happened. Secret service moved, weapons drawn, to the driver who put his hands in the air. @9NewsAUS https://t.co/6fcCkya2xH
— Jonathan Kearsley (@jekearsley) December 18, 2023
Another vehicle, a U-Haul, reportedly crashed into the White House gates in May, hitting the security barriers in Lafayette Square near the president’s home. After allegedly hitting the gates, the driver, 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula of Missouri, allegedly made threatening remarks speaking about Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the United States Park Police (USPP).
Shortly after the crash, Kandula was arrested and hit with multiple charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, destruction of federal property and trespassing, USPP said. The vehicle was reportedly investigated and no incendiary devices or explosives were found. However, what appeared to be a Nazi flag was inside the truck, court documents said, according to CBS News