Suspicious Car Causes White House Lockdown

The White House went on lockdown briefly on Tuesday afternoon after a car made it past the Pennsylvania Avenue barricades, officials said.

Security authorities cleared the North Lawn, closed the gates and instructed White House occupants to remain inside after a blue Honda Civic parked near the building’s entrance, ABC reports.

The vehicle belonged to an employee of the Treasury Department who was trailing a motorcade containing the president’s daughters and did not have security clearance to pass the checkpoint. The driver is now in custody.

A spokesperson would not confirm whether the breech was intended or the result of a wrong turn, the BBC reports. The lockdown lasted for approximately half an hour.

[ABC]