Washington DC – A 19-year-old man from Chesterfield, Missouri faces numerous charges after he used a truck to slam into a security barrier near the White House, according to authorities.
The box truck smashed into the barrier near the north side of Lafayette Square on Monday at around 10 p.m., Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, 19.
He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; threatening to kill / kidnap / inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member; destruction of federal property; and trespassing.
Officers from the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department searched the truck after the crash. Video posted by WUSA-TV shows a police officer at the scene picking up and inventorying several pieces of evidence from the truck, including a Nazi flag.
Based on a preliminary investigation, investigators believe the driver "may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square,” Guglielmi said. Authorities offered no additional details about the possible motive.