Van crashes through barricade near White House, driver arrested

WASHINGTON

A van crashed through a barricade near the north end of the White House early Wednesday morning, prompting the executive mansion to go on lockdown.

"On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at approximately 6:37 a.m., MPD officers responded to the vicinity of the White House to assist the United States Secret Service after a van drove through the barricade at Connecticut Avenue and H Street, Northwest," DC Police, formally known as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), said in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries at the scene, and the driver was taken into custody, police said. An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

A Secret Service spokesperson told Anadolu than an MPD bomb disposal team responded to the scene and cleared the vehicle, later declaring the area safe. The individual who was arrested is being interviewed "and criminal charges are pending," the spokesperson said.

The individual was not publicly identified, and all road closures in the area were lifted.