Man taken into custody after driving van into security gate outside White House, authorities say

A suspect is being questioned by Secret Service after police shut down streets near the White House after the discovery of a suspicious vehicle.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A man was taken into custody on Wednesday after driving his van into a security barrier outside the White House, authorities said.

The Secret Service said the man crashed into the temporary security barrier just before 6:30 a.m. He was immediately arrested by officers from the Secret Service’s uniformed division, the agency said.

The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was being interviewed by investigators. Criminal charges were pending, the Secret Service said.

A police bomb squad was called to the scene, checked the vehicle and determined it to be safe.