Driver Arrested After Crashing Into White House Security Gate

A person was arrested on Oct. 21 after crashing a vehicle into a security gate outside the White House, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

The crash happened near the Secret Service vehicle gate at 17th and E streets in Washington, along the southwest perimeter of the White House, according to the agency.

The Secret Service said the individual crashed into the security gate at about 10:37 p.m. local time. The driver was taken into custody, and authorities searched the vehicle, the agency stated.

“The individual was arrested & the vehicle was assessed and deemed safe. Our investigation into the cause of this collision is ongoing,” the federal law enforcement agency said in a statement posted on X.

Authorities have not released information about the individual’s identity. The motive behind the crash remains unclear.

A White House spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email that further details on the crash will be provided after the investigation is completed.

Security measures at the White House have been tightened in recent years after multiple incidents of barrier breaches.

Last year, a fatal crash occurred near the White House complex when a vehicle collided with an outer perimeter gate on the White House complex.

The incident occurred near the intersection of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the night of May 4, 2024. The unidentified male driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Secret Service later concluded that the crash did not pose a threat to the presidential residence, though the cause of the driver’s actions remains unknown. Authorities said at the time that the incident was being investigated as a traffic crash.

That same year in January, a male driver was taken into custody after his SUV crashed into an exterior gate of the White House complex, resulting in traffic disruptions as crews worked to remove the vehicle.

The crash occurred on Jan. 8, 2024, near 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The Secret Service did not release information on the identity of the driver or any potential motives.

In 2019, law enforcement and the Secret Service responded to a suspicious vehicle whose driver tried to illegally enter the White House complex by following an official vehicle through the Lafayette Park gate.

Authorities stopped the vehicle, and the individual was taken into custody. Following the incident, authorities built a 13-foot-high security fence, replacing the previous 6-foot barrier to better protect the White House grounds.

Caden Pearson contributed to this report.