A late-night crash outside the White House sparked a brief security scare Tuesday after a motorist rammed his car into a fortified gate near the corner of 17th and E Streets in Washington, D.C. The incident occurred around 10:37 p.m., according to the U.S. Secret Service, which confirmed the driver was immediately arrested at the scene.
Authorities said the vehicle was inspected by Secret Service personnel and the Metropolitan Police Department’s bomb squad and was later deemed safe. No injuries were reported, and the White House was not placed on lockdown, though nearby streets were temporarily closed while the car was removed.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time, the Secret Service confirmed. The agency did not release the suspect’s identity or provide details about a possible motive.
Footage circulating on social media shows officers surrounding the damaged vehicle, photographing the scene, and measuring impact points on the security gate. The location of the crash sits southwest of the presidential residence, near the American Red Cross headquarters.
Officials noted this was not an isolated event — similar car crashes occurred at White House entry points in January and May of last year.
The latest incident follows heightened security concerns after the recent discovery of a suspicious hunting stand in Florida overlooking the area where President Trump was scheduled to exit Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on Sunday. While no connection between the two events has been made, federal agencies are reviewing both cases amid renewed scrutiny of presidential security protocols.