Authorities on Monday night arrested a man after he crashed his vehicle into a White House exterior gate, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Guglielmi revealed that the driver collided with the gate shortly before 6 pm local time, and police cleared the vehicle less than two hours after the incident, CBS News reported.
However, President Joe Biden was not at the White House at the time of the crash. He was in South Carolina for a campaign event earlier Monday and was en route to Texas Monday evening.
Although the authorities have not yet released any identifying information about the driver, they said that the crash impacted traffic near 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, which is the eastern side of the White House complex near the Treasury Building, authorities said.
Closures were lifted after the vehicle was cleared.
It was not immediately clear if there would be any charges.
CBS News, quoting law enforcement officers briefed on the incident, reported that the driver was a man who is believed to have mental health challenges and was under evaluation after being taken into custody.
The officers added that there was no ongoing threat.
Pictures from the scene show what appears to be a silver or gray Cadillac Escalade with Virginia plates.
This is not the first time a vehicle has crashed into a White House gate as previously, in May, a U-Haul truck driver crashed into security barriers around Lafayette Square across the street from the White House, officials said at the time.
The 19-year-old driver had a Nazi flag with him when he was arrested, according to court documents.
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