Man dies after crashing car into White House gate
A driver died after crashing a vehicle into a gate at the White House on Saturday night, authorities said.
The man was found dead in the vehicle following the crash shortly before 10.30pm at an outer perimeter gate of the White House complex, the US Secret Service said in a statement.
Security protocols were implemented but there was no threat to the White House, the agency said. The driver was not immediately identified.
Limited traffic closures remain in effect as Secret Service teams, @dcfireems & @DCPoliceDept investigate a fatal vehicle crash that occurred at an exterior perimeter gate by the White House. There is no threat or public safety implications and our preliminary statement is below pic.twitter.com/zGTVDuZV5E
— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) May 5, 2024
The Secret Service will continue to investigate the matter while turning over the fatal crash portion of the investigation to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, the agency said.
“At this time, the incident is being investigated only as a traffic crash,” law enforcement authorities said in a statement.
The Metropolitan Police Department responded at about 10.45pm to reports that a vehicle “travelling at a high rate of speed” collided with an outer perimeter gate of the White House, Fox News reported.
The Metropolitan Police Department said the vehicle crashed into a security barrier at the intersection of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
“At this time, the incident is being investigated only as a traffic crash by MPD’s Major Crash Investigations Unit,” the metro police said in a statement posted on social media
A man was detained earlier in January near the White House for crashing a vehicle into an exterior gate of the presidential mansion complex.