Missouri man accused of deliberately crashing U-Haul truck into security barrier near White House

Table Of Content

• Man who crashed U-Haul truck near White House wanted to end U.S. democracy, prosecutors say
• U-Haul truck crashes into barrier near White House; 1 charged, police say
• Swastika flag recovered at the scene
• year-old accused in U-Haul crash near White House had Nazi flag, planned to 'seize power'
• Driver crashes into White House exterior gate, Secret Service says

He wanted to "get to the White House, seize power and be put in charge of the nation," according to charging documents. He also said he would "kill the president, if that's what I have to do," documents say. The Secret Service interviewed Kandula on Monday night, and the charge that he threatened to kill, kidnap or harm the president, vice president or a relative is related to his statements, a Secret Service spokesman told NBC News.

Man who crashed U-Haul truck near White House wanted to end U.S. democracy, prosecutors say

Officials have not yet released any identifying information about the driver. Lafayette Square itself was closed for nearly a year in 2020 and 2021, after authorities fenced off the area during protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The nearby Hay Adams Hotel was evacuated at the request of the Secret Service, the Washington Post reported, citing a hotel official, while the Secret Service said some roads and pedestrian walkways around the park were closed. The flag and plastic evidence bags were photographed laid out on the road after the crash. A Reuters witness said investigators found the flag, which apparently came from inside the truck. The news of the accusation about the Nazi flag and Kandula’s identity was met with skepticism among some quarters on social media.

U-Haul truck crashes into barrier near White House; 1 charged, police say

A burglary suspect being chased by law enforcement crashed into two vehicles in South Los Angeles early Wednesday, killing one of the innocent drivers. Chris Zaboji, a witness to the crash, posted a brief video to social media showing the truck driving into the barriers. After crashing once, Zaboji said the driver hit the barricades a second time.

Swastika flag recovered at the scene

Lafayette Square has long been one of the nation’s most prominent venues for demonstration near the Executive Mansion. 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. A "preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck" the barrier, he said. Investigators seized a red flag with a Nazi symbol, according to video and a law enforcement source. Kandula told agents he bought the flag because “Nazis have a great history,” charging documents say.

Moments later, the driver of the U-Haul slammed into the Lafayette Square barriers, backed up, and slammed into them again, the court documents state. In 2021, the most recent information provided by the CHP, there were 12,513 police pursuits reported to the CHP by police agencies across the state, with 52 reported deaths. Thirty of the deaths were the drivers involved in the car chases, eight were passengers in the pursuit vehicles, and 14 deaths were people not involved in the car chases. The truck crashed on the northern side of Lafayette Square at around 10 p.m.

Pursuits by law enforcement officers in Southern California have come under growing scrutiny in recent years for the danger they pose to unwitting bystanders. A driver not involved in the pursuit was killed in the collision, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Brian Humphrey, and three ambulances took patients to hospitals. Deputies saw at least four suspects get into a white Lexus and a black Porsche, authorities told KTTV Channel 11.

U-Haul crashes into Lafayette Square near the White House - WUSA9.com

U-Haul crashes into Lafayette Square near the White House.

Posted: Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

After the crash, the truck was searched by bomb technicians and no explosives or incendiary devices were found, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN. A witness, Chris Zaboji, said the driver smashed into the barrier at least twice. Zaboji, a 25-year-old pilot who lives in Washington, was finishing a run close by Lafayette Square when he heard the loud crash of the U-Haul truck hitting the barrier. He said he took out his phone and captured the moment the truck struck the barrier again before he heard sirens approaching. The man accused of crashing a box truck into barriers near the White House in a bid to overthrow the government planned to give a speech announcing the end of U.S. democracy, prosecutors said.

A Rockwood School District official in Missouri confirmed Sai Varshith Kandula graduated from Marquette High School early in January 2022. He appeared in court Tuesday with a slim build, a little longer hair, and beard. The truck was cleared for potential explosives, a law enforcement official said. There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel, Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, said in a statement. "U-Haul has been in close contact with the FBI and Secret Service and is cooperating with law enforcement to ensure their investigative needs are met,” the spokesperson said in an email.

U.S. Park Police officers detained the driver and took him into custody. The driver, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., is facing several charges, including threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, the U.S. He also faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, trespassing, destruction of federal property and reckless operation of a vehicle. The truck crashed into security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street just before 10 p.m., and officers detained the driver, the US Secret Service said. Kandula was charged with five counts, including assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, trespassing and destruction of federal property, U.S. He was also charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president or their families, police said.

The officer then witnessed the suspect, identified as Kandula, walking around to the back of the U-Haul and pulling out a flag with a Nazi swastika and a backpack, the documents state. The driver, identified as Noah Green of Virginia, got out of the car with a knife and lunged at the officers, police said. Video from CNN affiliate WUSA shows a Park Police officer taking inventory of the U-Haul truck, packing up several pieces of evidence. Among the items that appear to be from the truck are a flag of what appears to be a swastika, a black backpack and a roll of duct tape. There were no red flags on Kandula's vehicle rental record that would have prevented him from being able to rent a U-Haul, the company said.

Roughly a quarter of the pursuits, 1,032, resulted in a collision that caused injuries or deaths. The Porsche exited the freeway during the pursuit, and deputies continued to chase the Lexus. Deputies called off their pursuit because of excessive speeds but followed from the air and notified the California Highway Patrol, which picked up the chase on the freeway, according to the Sheriff’s Department.