President Joe Biden’s motorcade encountered an unexpected incident on Sunday night as a car accidentally collided with an SUV while departing from his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware.
The collision resulted in damage to both vehicles, with the president visibly startled.
The US Secret Service confirmed that a vehicle in the motorcade was hit by another car as Biden got into his car. There was “no protective interest associated with this event,” Secret Service spokesperson Steve Kopek told CNN in a statement, meaning that the crash was not intentional. Heavy rainfall in Wilmington likely contributed to the accident.
Directing further questions to the Wilmington Police Department, Kopek stated, “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.”
The crash, accompanied by a loud bang, prompted the Secret Service to surround the silver sedan responsible for the collision. The male driver was instructed to raise his hands, as reported by pool reporters traveling with President Biden.
It is noteworthy that the impacted SUV did not belong to the president. Secret Service personnel promptly escorted President Biden to his vehicle, where First Lady Jill Biden was already present.
The incident occurred following the Bidens’ visit to the president’s 2024 campaign headquarters, where they engaged with staffers during a holiday happy hour.
This visit marked the president’s first since staffers began working from the Wilmington office over the summer, according to CNN.