WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris was concerned in a motorcade accident Monday that was initially reported to Secret Service leaders as a “mechanical failure,” an company spokesman stated Wednesday evening.
The spokesperson, Anthony Guglielmi, stated the accident occurred when the car carrying Harris overcorrected and hit a curb.
“Throughout a protecting motion Monday, a car in a motorcade had a minor overcorrection and struck a curb,” Guglielmi stated. “The protectee [Harris] was transferred to a secondary car and the motorcade continued to its vacation spot. There have been no accidents to anybody.”
The Washington Submit first reported the incident.
Radio visitors surrounding the incident, which was communicated to company leaders by personnel supporting the motorcade, initially indicated {that a} mechanical failure had occurred, Guglielmi stated.
“After the protecting motion was accomplished, management was verbally up to date with extra pertinent info that the car struck a curb,” he stated.
A supply aware of the incident informed NBC Information that Harris was headed to work on the White Home in her motorcade when the car she was driving in clipped a excessive curb with its again wheel and was disabled.
The supply stated {that a} stopped motorcade is taken into account a state of affairs of concern, “an enormous no-no for us,” and that Harris was rapidly moved to the alternative car. Her earlier car had been touring at a excessive charge of pace, estimated at as much as 50 mph, on metropolis streets, the supply stated.
When the motorcade arrived on the White Home, the medical workplace checked Harris out to ensure she was OK, the supply added.
Harris’ press secretary, Kirsten Allen, confirmed the incident Wednesday.
“The Vice President sustained no accidents and appreciates the short response by her USSS element to get her to the White Home safely,” Allen stated in an announcement.
The miscommunication on the a part of the Secret Service comes because the company is already underneath criticism over the way it has dealt with inner communications prior to now.
The company has been scrutinized for apparently having erased textual content messages surrounding the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol final 12 months. After the Division of Homeland Safety’s inspector basic launched a probe, senior leaders on the Secret Service confiscated the cellphones of 24 brokers to provide to the watchdog.
Guglielmi stated Wednesday there can be no disciplinary motion after the motorcade incident.
“We’re happy with the element. How they dealt with this was precisely as they need to,” he informed NBC Information.
Requested about earlier situations which have put the Secret Service within the headlines, Guglielmi stated: “This isn’t a misconduct situation in any respect.”
