A driver died after crashing into a White House gate Saturday night. However, Authorities are treating it strictly as a traffic collision.
The U.S. Secret Service announced that a male driver, whose identity was not disclosed, was discovered deceased inside the vehicle after it crashed into an outer perimeter gate of the White House complex shortly before 10:30 p.m.
Upon arriving at the crash site, officers attempted to provide assistance to a male driver found within the vehicle. Unfortunately, he was declared deceased at the scene. There were no additional injuries reported.
President Joe Biden was Reportedly Away When a Driver Died Hitting the White House Gates
“There was no threat to the White House,” the Secret Service wrote on X. “The fatal crash portion of this will be turned over to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department Crash Investigation Unit and the Secret Service investigation continues.”
According to NPR, President Biden was in Delaware over the weekend at the time of the crash.
The Secret Service has decided to pass the fatal crash investigation to metro police while continuing to explore other elements of the incident. “At this time, the incident is being investigated only as a traffic crash by MPD’s Major Crash Investigations Unit,” the metro police added in a statement.
This Follows a Series of Reckless Driving Incidents Near the White House
Meanwhile, the driver crashing into the exterior gate follows a series of recent vehicular incidents near the White House.
In January, law enforcement apprehended a driver following an incident where a vehicle collided with an exterior gate of the White House. The individual detained in connection with the crash was reportedly suffering from mental health challenges.
A few weeks prior, a man from Delaware inadvertently collided his vehicle with President Joe Biden’s motorcade. However, this seemed to be fueled by alcohol rather than a serious attempt on Biden’s life. Subsequently, the driver faced charges of driving under the influence.
In late May last year, a man operating a U-Haul truck collided with the security barriers surrounding Lafayette Square. This is directly opposite the White House. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the driver, identified as 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula from Chesterfield, Missouri, had a Nazi flag.
According to The Guardian, Kandula faced a federal charge for causing damage to US property valued at over $1,000.