What we know about Missouri man who allegedly crashed U-Haul truck near White House

Robert A. Cronkleton
·2 min read
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The driver of a U-Haul truck that rammed into security barriers at a park near the White House was identified as 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, according to the U.S. Park Police.

Kandula was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; threatening to kill, kidnap, or inflict harm on a president, vice president or family member; destruction of federal property and trespassing, according to a news release from the U.S. Park Police.

U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Secret Service uniform division officers responded about 9:40 p.m. Monday to the crash in the 1600 block of H Street NW. The preliminary investigation indicates that Kandula allegedly “intentionally crashed” a U-Haul into the bollards outside of Lafayette Park, according to the U.S. Park Police

There were no injuries to White House or Secret Service personnel.

A student by the name of Sai Varshith Kandula graduated from Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, in January 2022, said David Morrison, a spokesman for the Rockwood School District in Eureka, Missouri.

He participated in student council during his sophomore year and the boys tennis team during his sophomore and junior years

He was pursuing a career in data analytics, according to a LinkedIn profile.

The Associated Press reported that a Nazi flag was apparently pulled from a U-Haul truck that crashed into security barriers near the White House, according to video posted on social media. Video posted on Twitter by Nathan Howard, a freelance photojournalist, showed what appeared to be a Nazi flag being pulled from the cab of the truck.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the president was briefed on the crash on Tuesday morning, not on Monday night when it occurred. She referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service.

“He’s relieved that no one was injured last night, and grateful to the agents and law enforcement officers who responded so quickly,” Jean-Pierre said.

The Star’s Daniel Desrochers and the Associated Press provided some information for this story.