Driver dies after ramming car into White House gate

The Secret Service, along with the police and fire departments of the District of Columbia, has launched an investigation into the fatal crash. PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON – A driver died after crashing a car into the exterior gate of the White House late on May 4, the US Secret Service said.

“Shortly before 10.30pm, a vehicle travelling at a high speed collided with an outer perimeter gate of the White House complex,” the service said in a statement on social media platform X, adding that there was “no threat” to the White House itself.

Officers arriving at the scene “attempted to render aid to the driver, who was discovered deceased”, the statement said.

The Secret Service, along with the police and fire departments of the District of Columbia, has launched an investigation into the fatal crash, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

He added that there were “no threat or public safety implications”.

In January, the authorities detained another person who crashed a vehicle into the exterior gate of the same complex.

The White House has seen a string of high-profile trespassing incidents in recent years, prompting the construction of a higher, tougher metal fence around the iconic mansion’s perimeter in 2020. AFP

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