US authorities arrested a man on Monday at the White House after he crashed the car he was driving into the fence of the historic building, the Secret Service, which guards top US government officials, said.

“Shortly before 18:00 (local time; 01:00 today Greek time), a vehicle crashed into an exterior gate at the White House complex,” agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi explained via X (of the former Twitter).

“The driver was taken into custody and we are investigating the cause and manner of the collision,” he added.

President Joe Biden was not in the building when the incident unfolded. The security services have not clarified until now whether it was a simple accident or an attempted attack against the building, in the center of the federal capital, Washington.

Police removed the vehicle and the driver “remains in custody” as “our investigation continues,” Mr. Guglielmi added.

The White House has become the scene of high-profile break-ins in recent years, causing concern to the extent that in 2020 a taller and more durable metal barrier was built around the seat of the US presidency.

In 2017, a man climbed the fence and walked around the grounds of the iconic building for over sixteen minutes before being arrested while then-President Donald Trump was inside.

In 2014, while Barack Obama was president, a US Army veteran scaled the White House fence and ran across the lawn before entering the building with a pocket knife.