A man was taken into custody after he drove his car into a security barrier outside the White House, authorities said.
The US Secret Service said the man crashed into a security gate at the entrance to the White House at 10.37pm on Tuesday. The man was immediately arrested by Secret Service uniformed division officers, the agency said.
Investigators searched his car and deemed it safe, Secret Service officials said in a statement.
Authorities did not immediately release any additional information about the crash, the identity of the driver or a possible motive.
Images of the crash outside the White House have gone viral on social media. The footage shows Secret Service officers inspecting the damaged car, taking measurements and photographing the vehicle.
US President Trump was in the White House at the time of the incident, according to the Secret Service.
Although the White House was not locked down, the road leading to the gate was closed until police towed the vehicle away.
This is not the first time a vehicle has crashed at the gates of the White House. Similar incidents were reported last year, both in January and May.
The crash comes just days after a suspicious hunting stand was discovered at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida on Sunday with a direct line of sight to the area where President Trump would exit Air Force One.
A security breach at the US Capitol?
In a similar incident, a Massachusetts man was found with a gun after he toured the US Capitol and left the nearby Library of Congress in January of this year. The U.S. Secret Service and D.C. Metropolitan Police found him at a Washington hotel early Tuesday, interviewed him and searched the premises, but at that time no firearm was found and no immediate action was taken. However, it later emerged that the man had managed to get through Capitol security with a gun during a public inspection.
After the incident, the Capitol Police ordered a full review and ordered refresher training on security clearance procedures “so it never happens again.” The officer in charge of screening at the Capitol Visitor Center magnetometer has been suspended pending an internal investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility.
Capitol Police said there was no indication the man intended to harm members of Congress. However, sources told ABC News that the situation raised serious concerns because a potentially suicidal individual visited the Capitol armed while members of the public and lawmakers were nearby.
