One Man Dragged From Car After White House Perimeter Crash
Secret Service ordered press to shelter in place after a vehicle struck a sign in Lafayette Park.
By Julia Wang ·
A vehicle crashed into an exterior perimeter barrier at the White House on Monday morning, prompting the Secret Service to activate a security protocol. Agents instructed journalists gathered outside the residence to move into the press room at 10:02 a.m. local time, shortly after the impact.
The car struck an information panel in Lafayette Park, which sits north of the presidential residence. Footage captured by The Washington Sun reporter Martin Austermuhle showed the damaged vehicle surrounded by Washington Metropolitan Police officers and National Guard troops.
Agents opened the driver's door and pulled a man from the car. Several officers restrained him after a physical struggle. The incident occurred while the National Guard remained deployed in Washington to assist local law enforcement, a posture President Donald Trump has maintained since 2025.
The vehicle had not been removed from the scene by 10:40 p.m. The crash adds to a series of security challenges for the administration. On April 25, an armed man bypassed part of the security detail at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, forcing the evacuation of President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and members of the Cabinet.
The Monday event required immediate coordination between federal and local forces. The driver was the only individual noted as being taken from the vehicle. The car remained on site for several hours under the watch of National Guard members.
