Washington: An adjacent to the White House grounds security barrier was struck by a box truck on Monday night, prompting police to detain the driver, according to a US Secret Service spokesperson.

According to Anthony Guglielmi, the US Secret Service's chief of communications, "There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel, and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation."

The Secret Service reported that a few streets and pedestrian bridges were closed. According to a hotel representative quoted in the Washington Post, the Secret Service requested that the nearby Hay Adams hotel be evacuated.

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A box-shaped U-Haul truck was seen stopped next to a line of steel bollards on live television as law enforcement officials in uniform and a dog approached the vehicle. The truck's rear door was forced open by a remote-controlled robot, revealing a dolly but no other obviously loaded items.

According to a witness account, the driver struck the barriers again after the initial collision, WUSA reported.

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In a brief video that was uploaded to social media, a U-Haul can be seen crashing into the barriers from a close distance for what the person who uploaded it claimed was the second time. Reuters was unable to confirm the video's veracity.

According to a Washington Fire Department spokesperson, a call for what was described as a suspicious package investigation was received at 9:40 p.m. (0130 GMT).

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Public information officer Vito Maggiolo stated that "all units are ready to assist law enforcement for anything they need for their investigation." According to a police spokesperson quoted by the Washington Post, Washington Metro Police assisted other agencies on the scene.