Washington, May 23

The driver of a truck that rammed into the security barriers outside the White House has been detained, a Secret Service official said.

The incident which occurred in Lafayette Square at about 10 p.m. on Monday night triggered evacuations of nearby hotels, including the Hay Adams which is located about 236 metres from the White House, the BBC reported.

The Secret Service official said there were no injuries as a result of the accident, adding that the U-Haul removal truck had been deemed safe.

Initial investigations suggested the crash might have been intentional, the BBC quoted the official as saying.

He added that charges against the detained driver will be filed by the US Park Police.

Shortly after the crash, some nearby roads and pedestrian areas were closed off.

WUSA, a CBS-affiliated television station covering Washington D.C., cited a witness as saying that the driver had hit the barriers a second time, following the initial collision.

Truck rams into White House security barriers, driver detained