A person was taken into custody late Tuesday after crashing a vehicle into a Secret Service security checkpoint near the White House, officials said.
According to a Secret Service spokesperson, the vehicle struck the gate at 17th Street and E Street NW in Washington. The suspect’s identity has not been released, and authorities have not yet indicated a possible motive or whether the incident was intentional.
“On Tuesday, October 21 at approximately 10:37 p.m., an individual drove his vehicle into the Secret Service vehicle gate located at 17th and E St, NW, DC,” a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.
“The individual was immediately arrested by U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, and the vehicle was assessed by Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department and deemed safe,” the statement added.
Images from news agencies showed a black vehicle that had collided with the security barrier on the western side of the White House complex, NBC News added.
It’s not clear whether President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at the White House during the incident.
The enhanced precautions were implemented after the Secret Service discovered a suspected hunting stand on Friday near the airport that had a clear line of sight to the presidential aircraft during Trump’s arrivals and departures.
Fox News was the first to report the discovery of the possible sniper position. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident. FBI Director Kash Patel said an investigation was already underway, adding that the position had yet to be attributed to anyone.