White House area shut down after van drives through barricade, driver arrested: Police
Police arrested a driver after a van smashed through a barricade near Lafayette Square close to the White House, prompting a security response in Washington, DC.
As the US-Iran war started on February 28, Washington has been on heightened security. (Photo: Reuters)
A van smashed through a barricade near White House on Wednesday morning, police said as the area in downtown Washington faced shutdown during the rush hour.
According to Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Nathan Clark, “There are no reported injuries at this time, the van operator was apprehended, and the investigation is ongoing,” NBC News reported.
Details of the driver, who was apprehended, have not been released by police. The van hit into a gate at Lafayette Square, which is north of the White House and is generally filled with office workers and tourists.
As the US-Iran war started on February 28, Washington has been on heightened security. It remains unclear if President Donald Trump was in the White House when the security breach happened.
The Secret Service, which is tasked to handle presidential security, in a statement said it was “looking into a suspicious vehicle. The driver of the car has been detained and is being questioned.”
Several major streets along the White House have been shut which has halted government employees and city workers from reaching their respective offices as traffic congestion was reported in the area, AFP reported.
A police bomb squad was called to the scene which checked the vehicle that had crashed into the security barricade and later determined it to be safe, AP reported.
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As the US-Iran war started on February 28, Washington has been on heightened security. (Photo: Reuters) 
