Driver who crashed truck into White House charged with threatening Joe Biden

US Secret Service said no injuries were reported

The US Secret Service investigates a rented lorry that crashed into security barriers at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, on Tuesday. Reuters

A Missouri man who drove a rented box lorry into security barriers near the White House was charged on Tuesday with threatening US President Joe Biden after authorities said they believed he might have deliberately crashed.

A witness told Reuters they saw investigators pull a Nazi flag from inside the truck, which crashed into barriers at Lafayette Square, a public area one block from the White House compound, on Monday evening.

The driver, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was detained by the Secret Service.

Mr Kandula faces charges including threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, the US Park Police said in a statement.

"Preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square," US Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter.

The crash took place in the central section of Lafayette Square's north side, across H Street from the Hay-Adams hotel and St John's Episcopal Church, two of the city's historic sites.

Authorities have said nothing about what may have been behind the crash, which caused no injuries.

“There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation,” Mr Guglielmi said.

The Hay-Adams hotel was evacuated, Fox 5 TV news reported.

Footage broadcast on the WUSA TV station showed a U-Haul removal company lorry stopped alongside a row of steel bollards, and uniformed law-enforcement officers approaching the vehicle.

After initially crashing, the driver hit the barriers a second time, WUSA reported, quoting a witness report.

Agencies contributed to this report