Capitol Police officer airlifted after being struck by van near Capitol
A Capitol Police officer was hospitalized Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a van near the Capitol, the department announced on Twitter.
The crash, which involved a motorcycle officer, is thought to be an accident and not an act of terror or an attack on law enforcement or Congress, the department said.
NOW: We are working a traffic crash, which involves one of our motorcycle officers, at Washington Avenue and C St, SW. It happened just before 3pm.
The officer was airlifted to the hospital.
The driver of the other vehicle, a white van, stayed on scene. pic.twitter.com/iMKup8JWEy
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) May 26, 2021
“At this time, this does not appear to be tied to terrorism and there is no threat to Congress or the Capitol Complex,” the department tweeted.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Washington Avenue and C Street SW, just a short distance south of both the Capitol and the House office buildings that line Independence Avenue.
The driver of the van remained on the scene, the department said, and was arrested for driving without a valid license. It’s unclear if the driver was injured or faces additional charges.
A second source familiar with the incident said the motorcycle officer was struck head-on by the van. The officer was “conscious and breathing” before being flown to the hospital, the source added.
The incident is just the latest difficulty for the Capitol Police this year.
On Jan. 6, a mob of supporters of former President Trump attacked the Capitol, injuring more than 140 officers. Three months later, on Good Friday, a man said to be suffering from mental health problems rammed his car into two officers just outside the Capitol. One of them, William Evans, was killed.
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