STREETS around the US Capitol have been shut down after a vehicle was driven onto the sidewalk.
Authorities surrounded a car after it drove off the road on Constitution Avenue in the heart of Washington DC.
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Capitol Police said the vehicle was seen driving “erratically” onto the sidewalk, sparking a major shutdown of the surrounding streets.
The incident happened just before 10 am ET.
Cops have urged the public to stay away from the Capitol while they investigate the vehicle involved.
Footage from the scene shows a large police presence around the car and a figure being led away.
The driver is now in custody.
“Before 10 am, our officers spotted a car that had been driving along the sidewalk, near Peace Circle, and into the grassy area near Third Street, NW, & Constitution Avenue,” Capitol Police said in a statement.
“Officers took the man into custody. Please continue to avoid the area while we investigate the car.”
It comes in the wake of heightened security in DC following the horror terror attack in New Orleans early Wednesday morning.
At least 14 people were killed and more than 35 injured after a pickup truck was rammed deliberately into crowds of New Year’s Eve revelers in the city’s bustling French Quarter.
Security was already being beefed up in the nation’s capital as it prepares for the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
US Capitol Police later said at 11:43 am they had arrested the man on suspicion of reckless driving.
“Our bomb squad cleared the car and declared that it is safe,” the statement said.
“The driver is being arrested for reckless driving.
“Please continue to avoid the area while our investigators continue their work.”
The roads around the Capitol are set to “reopen shortly,” the statement concluded.
DAYS OF TERROR
2025 has begun with a series of shocking incidents in the US sparking terror across the country.
Just three hours into the New Year, a driver deliberately plowed a pickup truck through crowds of revelers in New Orleans.
The suspected driver, Shamsud Din Jabbar, killed 14 people when he purposely drove into pedestrians in the French Quarter, before being killed himself in a firefight with police.
A further 35 were injured in the terror attack, believed to be inspired by the ISIS terror group, which Jabbar had pledged allegiance to earlier this year.
Jabbar is believed to have acted alone after authorities earlier said they were hunting for suspected accomplices.
He drove from his home in Houston, Texas, to New Orleans on New Year’s Eve, posting several videos online proclaiming his support for ISIS, the FBI said on Thursday.
Later on Wednesday, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
One person – the driver – was killed in the blast while seven bystanders were wounded.
The driver has been named as 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, a US Army Green Beret who served at the same military base as Jabbar.
He lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and rented the Cybertruck through Turo, the same vehicle-sharing app used to rent the pickup truck used in the New Orleans attack.
However, at this point, the FBI says there is no confirmed link between Livelsberger and Jabbar.
On Thursday, January 2, there was a major lockdown around the US Capitol after a vehicle was spotted driving erratically on the sidewalk.
The driver was subsequently arrested and charged with dangerous driving.
It comes as DC plans to host several major events in the coming days, including the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
New Orleans is also hosting a number of mass events in the next few weeks, including the Sugar Bowl college football playoff, the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and Essence Festival.
Police have not released the name or age of the driver, or said if he is suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
HORROR NEW YEAR
The erratic behavior comes just a day after the terror attack in New Orleans perpetrated by Texan-born US Army veteran Shamsud Din Jabbar.
He is believed to have been radicalized by ISIS this year, and a flag of the group was found on the truck.
Hours later, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas killing the driver and wounding seven bystanders.
Authorities are treating the incident as a suspected terror attack and are investigating links between the two events.
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