When Kamala Harris Met With a Freak Accident Due to Secret Service's Failure
Vice President Kamala Harris experienced a 'freak' traffic accident in October 2022. Harris was traveling on her usual route to work when the unfortunate incident happened. According to The Washington Post, the motorcade came to a halt near Foggy Bottom at around 10:20 a.m. because the Secret Service agent driving Harris' SUV hit the curb of a downtown tunnel so forcefully that the tire had to be changed. Agents had to move Harris to another car in the motorcade so they could transport her to the White House without any further tragic incidents. According to CNN, the Secret Service later issued a statement saying the car had hit the curb after reporting 'mechanical failure'.
“During a protective movement Monday, a vehicle in a motorcade had a minor overcorrection and struck a curb,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi had stated back then. “The protectee was transferred to a secondary vehicle and the motorcade continued to its destination. There were no injuries to anyone.” Guglielmi added: “Initial radio traffic indicated this was a mechanical failure and that was communicated to agency leadership by personnel supporting the motorcade movement. After the protective movement was completed, leadership was verbally updated with additional pertinent facts that the vehicle struck a curb.”
Apparently, the Secret Service had omitted to include important information about the incident in an official email informing senior leadership of the motorcade's delay. One of the individuals claimed that Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle learned from other agents that the alert did not adequately describe what occurred. In actuality, Harris knew her vehicle had really struck the side pavement of a tunnel, as well as several other Secret Service agents on her detail and at the White House. According to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, the accident was caused by the driver's excessive steering correction. Harris, he claimed, was unharmed and brought to the White House in a secure manner. Her spokeswoman, Kirsten Allen had stated that the Democratic leader expressed 'an immense amount of gratitude for her Secret Service detail'. The freak incident left her unharmed, and she appreciated the USSS detail's rapid action in getting her to the White House securely.
The notice that at first attributed the delay to a "mechanical failure" was distributed in accordance with established protocols for informing recipients of security-related developments or threats involving the White House or any other officials or family members that the Secret Service safeguards. These alerts, which are official documents sent by the agency's protective intelligence division to the phones of top officials, have previously been used to warn them when someone tries to scale the White House fence or when agents alter security plans in response to a new worry or threat.
