SUV crashes into White House gate

On the evening of January 8 at 7:38 p.m., Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, announced that earlier in the evening, shortly before 6 p.m., an SUV collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex. Following that crash at the White House gate, the still unidentified driver of the vehicle was taken into custody.

The Secret Service went on to say that they were” investigating the cause & manner of the collision, and to expect traffic implications at 15th Street & Pennsylvania Ave & adjacent intersections.”

There were some road closures near the White House; but about 90 minutes after the crash, DC Police had cleared the vehicle and all the streets near the crash were back open to traffic. No word yet if the driver of that vehicle will be looking at any charges. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash.

Law enforcement officers briefed on the incident told CBS News that the driver was a man who is believed to have mental health challenges. He was under evaluation after being taken into custody, the officers said, adding there was no ongoing threat.

Pictures from the scene show what appears to be a silver or gray Cadillac Escalade with Virginia plates.

President Joe Biden was traveling between South Carolina and Texas at the time of the crash and was not in the White House for all the commotion. For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.

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