A car collided with a parked SUV assigned to guard President Joe Biden’s motorcade as he was leaving his campaign headquarters, Sunday evening. The President and First Lady Jill Biden emerged unharmed from the encounter.
The mishap unfolded as President Biden was walking from the campaign office to his waiting armored SUV. A loud bang echoed as a sedan forcefully collided with an SUV positioned about 130 feet away. The incident occurred near a closed-off intersection being managed by a U.S. Secret Service vehicle.
Security personnel swiftly reacted to the crash, ushering President Biden into a waiting vehicle, which promptly drove away from the scene in downtown Wilmington. Biden, visibly surprised, paused and looked towards the sound before being safely transported back to his home. A White House official assured reporters that both the President and First Lady were unharmed.
The Secret Service spokesperson, Special Agent Steve Kopek, provided details on the incident, stating, “Today, at approximately 8:09 pm (0109 GMT), a Secret Service vehicle securing the president’s motorcade route was struck by another vehicle in Wilmington. There was no protective interest associated with this event, and the president’s motorcade departed without incident.”
Pool reporters, who had gathered outside the campaign offices after the Bidens’ dinner with staff, witnessed the crash and heard the President responding to shouted questions. Agents sprang into action, cornering the silver car with Delaware license plates and drawing weapons on the driver, who held up his hands.
In the midst of the unfolding situation, reporters were quickly directed to join the motorcade as it departed the rain-soaked scene. “They’re evacuating, you guys gotta go,” a staffer informed reporters as security personnel secured the area.
President Biden safely reached his family home without further incident, and his schedule remained unaffected by the unexpected collision. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is currently underway.
