On Monday (Jan 8), a security breach occurred at the White House when a driver rammed his vehicle into an outer gate of the presidential residence. The Secret Service confirmed the incident, which happened around 6 pm local time, and took the driver into custody for further investigation.
US Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi issued a statement saying, “Shortly before 6 pm, a vehicle collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex. We are investigating the cause & manner of the collision.”
The incident did not pose any threat to President Joe Biden, who was not present at the White House at the time. However, it caused significant traffic disruptions at 15th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, a busy intersection near the White House.
ALSO READ| Historic US mission to moon in jeopardy, facing failure after ‘critical loss’ of fuel
The Washington DC Police Department arrived at the scene and removed the suspect’s vehicle from the gate. Guglielmi announced that the traffic closures were lifted after an hour of the incident.
White House breach is not new
This incident comes on the heels of another accident involving US President Biden’s motorcade. A few weeks ago, a Delaware man was charged for crashing into the presidential convoy by mistake.
The White House has been under heightened security measures in recent years, especially after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The National Park Service built a 13-foot fence with reinforced posts around the White House in 2021 to prevent intruders from scaling over it.
ALSO READ| Historic Texas hotel explosion leaves 21 injured, downtown Fort Worth scattered with debris
One of these breaches occurred in 2017, when a man climbed over the fence and wandered around the property for more than a quarter of an hour before being caught – with then-president Donald Trump inside the mansion.
Another one happened in 2014, when a troubled US Army veteran who had a knife in his pocket ran across the lawn and entered the building while Barack Obama was president.
