U-Haul Truck Crashes Into Barrier Near White House, Driver Charged

WASHINGTON, DC — A Missouri man is facing multiple charges including threatening to kill or harm a U.S. president after authorities said he intentionally crashed a U-Haul truck into a barrier near the White House on Monday, according to authorities and reports.

Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was arrested around 9:40 p.m. after U.S. Park Police said he crashed the truck into the bollards outside Lafayette Park in the 1600 block of H Street Northwest.

No one was injured in the crash.

Video from the scene shows investigators taking evidence from the U-Haul truck before eventually towing it from the scene, WUSA reported.

According to WUSA, authorities found a Nazi flag inside the truck.

Following the incident, Kandula was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vide president, or family member. He was also charged with assault, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, destruction of federal property and trespassing.

Lafayette Square, which offers perhaps the best view of the White House available to the public, has long been one of the nation’s most prominent venues for demonstrations. The park was closed for nearly a year after federal authorities fenced off the area at the height of nationwide protests over policing following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but it reopened in May 2021.

U-Haul is a moving truck, trailer and self-storage rental company based in Phoenix.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.