A 19-year-old Missouri man was arrested after police say he intentionally crashed a rented U-Haul truck near the White House, and investigators recovered a Nazi flag from the vehicle.
The man, whom police identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, along with other counts including assault with a dangerous weapon and trespassing. Police declined to provide further details early Tuesday about the nature of the alleged threat.
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A federal official with knowledge of the investigation said that after the crash, police recovered a Nazi flag from the vehicle. A photo on WUSA9 shows a police officer examining the flag on the ground next to the truck.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said the man was unarmed and no firearms were found in the truck.
U-Haul driver charged in White House crash
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Varshith Kandula, 19, of Missouri, faces multiple charges after police said he intentionally crashed a rented U-Haul near the White House on May 22. (Video: The Washington Post)
Officials opened an investigation after the box truck hit security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square, the Secret Service said. “There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel,” agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said earlier Tuesday. In a news release, Park Police said the driver “intentionally crashed into the bollards on the outside of Lafayette Park.”
The crash prompted the evacuation of the nearby Hay-Adams hotel, and roads and walkways were closed during the investigation, according to the Secret Service.
Chris Zaboji said he was finishing a 5-mile run that ended near the White House when he heard what he described as a “huge crash.”
He said he looked behind him and saw that a truck had “slammed into the barricade.” He said he heard it even through his headphones.
The 25-year-old airline pilot who lives in the District said the crash “seemed intentional from where I was standing.” He said he started recording after the first crash. A copy of the video he provided to The Washington Post shows the driver backing up and moving forward again, ramming the gate for what Zaboji said was a second time.
Zaboji said police from a cruiser and an officer on a bicycle immediately pulled up the scene, and others “just descended on the place.” He said he left before the man was removed or left the vehicle.
The man, whom police identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, along with other counts including assault with a dangerous weapon and trespassing. Police declined to provide further details early Tuesday about the nature of the alleged threat.
Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.
A federal official with knowledge of the investigation said that after the crash, police recovered a Nazi flag from the vehicle. A photo on WUSA9 shows a police officer examining the flag on the ground next to the truck.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said the man was unarmed and no firearms were found in the truck.
U-Haul driver charged in White House crash
0:32
Varshith Kandula, 19, of Missouri, faces multiple charges after police said he intentionally crashed a rented U-Haul near the White House on May 22. (Video: The Washington Post)
Officials opened an investigation after the box truck hit security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square, the Secret Service said. “There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel,” agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said earlier Tuesday. In a news release, Park Police said the driver “intentionally crashed into the bollards on the outside of Lafayette Park.”
The crash prompted the evacuation of the nearby Hay-Adams hotel, and roads and walkways were closed during the investigation, according to the Secret Service.
Chris Zaboji said he was finishing a 5-mile run that ended near the White House when he heard what he described as a “huge crash.”
He said he looked behind him and saw that a truck had “slammed into the barricade.” He said he heard it even through his headphones.
The 25-year-old airline pilot who lives in the District said the crash “seemed intentional from where I was standing.” He said he started recording after the first crash. A copy of the video he provided to The Washington Post shows the driver backing up and moving forward again, ramming the gate for what Zaboji said was a second time.
Zaboji said police from a cruiser and an officer on a bicycle immediately pulled up the scene, and others “just descended on the place.” He said he left before the man was removed or left the vehicle.
