Driver arrested after vehicle crashes into White House gate

A man has been arrested after crashing a vehicle into a gate outside the White House complex, the US Secret Service said.

The incident occurred shortly before 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT).

The "vehicle collided with an exterior gate", Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted on X, formerly Twitter.

President Joe Biden was not in Washington DC and was travelling from South Carolina to Texas.

No injuries were reported in the Monday evening incident.

One person was taken into custody, Mr Guglielmi said, adding that the crash is still under investigation.

The driver's name has not been released and prosecutors had not announced any criminal charges as of Monday evening.

The incident closed roads to the east of the White House in the downtown Washington DC area.

Mr Gugliemi told the Washington Post that it remains unclear "if it was intentional or accidental".

There have been several other incidents of drivers crashing vehicles into the White House gates.

Most recently, in May 2023, a man was arrested after crashing a rented box truck into the fences around the presidential complex.

The man, a St Louis resident, was charged with various offences including reckless driving.