US authorities have charged a rented truck driver from the US state of Missouri for crashing into security barriers near the White House, after saying they believed the accident could have been intentional.
A Reuters witness said investigators found a flag bearing the Nazi symbol “swastika” inside the truck that crashed into barriers in Lafayette Square, adjacent to the White House grounds, on Monday evening.
The authorities did not announce the motive behind the accident, which did not result in any injuries.
The US Secret Service arrested the truck driver, Sai Varshith Kandola, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri.
Officials said the driver made statements after crashing into the barrier that led investigators to believe he was seeking to harm the US president and vice president.
Police said in a statement that Kandola faces charges of threatening to kill, kidnap or harm the president, his vice president or a member of his family.
“Initial investigation has determined that the driver may have deliberately crashed into the security barriers in Lafayette Square,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote on Twitter.
