President Joesph Biden wrapped up his weekend with a bang after a car crashed into a parked SUV part of his presidential motorcade as he was visiting a campaign office in Wilmington, Delaware Sunday night.
The crash was particularly tense for Secret Service agents, as it occurred as President Biden was getting into his own vehicle just after 8 p.m. on Sunday. Both the president and first lady were visiting the office to thank staffers for their hard work on the president’s reelection campaign during a holiday happy hour. As they were leaving, the president stopped to take a question from the press regarding his polling numbers when a car hit a park SUV used as a chase car by the Service. From CNN:
“Today, at approximately 8:09 p.m., a Secret Service vehicle securing the President’s motorcade route was struck by another vehicle in Wilmington, DE. There was no protective interest associated with this event and the President’s motorcade departed without incident,” Kopek said, directing further questions to the Wilmington Police Department.
The crash caused a loud bang on the street, and Biden looked over to see the commotion. US Secret Service surrounded the silver sedan that caused the crash, telling the male driver to put his hands up, according to pool reporters traveling with Biden.
Yeesh, that’s exactly what you don’t want when you’re job is to protect the president. As bad a night as it was for the Secret Service, imaging being that poor driver; losing control of your vehicle, getting into a crash and, instead of exchanging insurance information, dealing with a SWAT team descending on your damaged car screaming at you to put your hands up.
Luckily, the car did not crash into the SUV Biden was meant to ride in, as first lady Dr. Jill Biden was already seat in that vehicle. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded the crashed car, but determined that the crash was an accident and not an attempt on the president’s life or safety. No one was injured in the crash, according to the New York Times.
This isn’t even the first time this year a vehicle has crashed into one used by the Secret Service. A stolen pizza dough truck (of all things) slammed into the private vehicle of a Secret Service member this past spring. Late in 2022, rental cars used by the Service burned down in a parking deck fire at the Nantucket Memorial Airport.