Nazi Flag Inside U-Haul Truck That Crashed by White House, Video Shows

A Nazi flag was reportedly pulled from a U-Haul truck that crashed into security barriers near the White House, according to video posted on social media.

The Secret Service and U.S. Park Police detained the driver of the truck late on Monday night. The man, who was not named, was arrested on multiple charges, including threatening to kill or harm a president, vice president or family member, a spokesperson for the United States Park Police told Newsweek.

He is also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, destruction of federal property and trespassing.

The crash occurred on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street NW, about a block from the White House, shortly before 10 p.m., Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Video posted on Twitter by Nathan Howard, a freelance photojournalist working for Reuters, showed what appeared to be a Nazi flag being pulled from the cab of the truck.

Reuters reported that a photographer working for the agency said officers retrieved the flag and plastic evidence bags that had been laid out on a sidewalk after the crash and placed them in the back of the truck.

Early Tuesday, Guglielmi said the truck was deemed safe by police and that a preliminary investigation found that the driver "may have intentionally struck the security barriers" at Lafayette Square.

There were no injuries to White House or Secret Service personnel, he said.

After the crash, the D.C. fire department was sent to 16th and H streets NW, a block from the north lawn of the White House, to investigate a suspicious package, according to The Washington Post.

The Hay-Adams hotel, located at that intersection, was evacuated at the Secret Service's request, the newspaper reported, citing a hotel official.

Newsweek has contacted the Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Fire Department for further comment via email.

Benjamin Berger, 26, posted a video of the aftermath of the crash on Twitter.

"I was taking a photo of the White House from Lafayette Square and heard a crash behind me," Berger told Newsweek. "I saw a huge U-Haul had hit the barriers and then people ran away."

Berger said the vehicle backed up, then rammed into the barriers a second time.

"Then the Secret Service and police converged on the vehicle, arrested the guy and cleared the area as no one was sure what was in the U-Haul," he said.

Chris Zaboji, another witness to the crash, posted a brief video on social media showing the truck driving into the barricades that was verified by Reuters.

Zaboji said he had just finished jogging on the National Mall and was walking home when he heard a loud crash.

"I looked back and saw that the U-Haul van had rammed into the barricade. I backed away behind a guy on a golf cart and took the video on my phone," he told Reuters. "After I saw it rammed again I didn't want to be anywhere near the truck and left."

Update 5/23/23, 4:45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 5/23/23, 6:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from eyewitness Benjamin Berger and the U.S. Park Police.