30 November 2023 , 13:26
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A huge police presence has been spotted at Capitol Hill in Washington DC after a driver crashed into a barricade.
Photos from the scene show a white car with its bonnet crumpled having crashed into a security barrier. The driver's door is open with steam or smoke rising from the bonnet.
An individual can also be seen in images shared on social media being detained by a group of officers. According to social media reports, a man in handcuffs was taken to an ambulance.
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The US Capitol Police are investigating the barrier crash, which happened on the south side of the Rayburn House Office Building. According to local news reports, the vehicle crashed into the barricade outside the Longworth House office building just after 8am.
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Police arrived on the scene where a man was reportedly detained and handcuffedPolitical reporter for The Spectator Matthew Foldi shared an image of the scene on X, formerly Twitter, saying: "Huge police presence on the House side; someone crashed into the barricade." Another reporter at the scene described the vehicle as a white Acura with Florida licence plates.
The car is said to have driven head-first into the barricade, with the impact causing airbags to deploy. The reporter on the scene added no serious injuries appeared to have been reported.
Meanwhile, Adam Longo, a WUSA9 news anchor in DC described the scene set in Matthew's picture saying it showed "someone being detained (lower left) after a crash at a Capitol Hill barricade". He added that Matthew "says he asked Capitol Police if there was a security concern. They responded no."
A Capitol Police spokesperson said officers were "monitoring" the situation. Nick Pearson, head of congressional affairs with Google Cloud said the "barrier crash [is] being investigated by Capitol Police on the south side of the Rayburn House Office Building."
No officers were injured in the crash, which happened just two blocks from the Capitol. Reporters on the scene are waiting to learn more about what led to the crash, which appears to have happened on South Capitol Street South East, with the Capitol Building visible at the end of the street.
Capitol Hill Police are on the scene of the crashFox News' Chad Pergram said: "USCP are investigating a vehicle which crashed into a barricade behind the Longworth House Office Building. But Fox is told this does not appear to be deliberate or terrorism."
According to traffic sensors with HERE WeGo, roads around the area are closed from Washington Avenue South West at the junction with 1st Street South West up to Independence Avenue by the Capitol. C Street South East is closed from 1st Street South West to 1st Street South East.
Cami Mondeaux with the Washington Examiner shared from the scene: "Road blocked off in between Longworth and Rayburn buildings due to a car crash this morning. Capitol Police tell me they're still investigating, but there's caution tape blocking the road and plenty of police presence."
The incident took place as indicted Representative George Santos, of New York, held a press conference ahead of a debate and vote on his potential expulsion from Congress. The 35-year-old lawmaker is facing federal charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit offences against the US.