A National Guard member whose military transport vehicle collided with a car this week was given a traffic ticket for running a red light in Washington, D.C. — as Guard forces deploy to the streets of the capital amid President Trump’s contentious anti-crime push.
The collision took place early Wednesday morning, as a convoy of five National Guard vehicles drove through D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. One of the trucks — a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle — struck a civilian car, the D.C. Guard said in a statement.
The five Guard vehicles and a D.C. Metropolitan Police Department cruiser stopped to help the driver, who was transported via emergency medical services, according to the Guard.
The driver sustained minor injuries, but the D.C. Fire Department used extrication tools to remove the driver from the car, department spokesperson Vito Maggiolo told CBS News.
The driver of the Guard vehicle was later ticketed for running a red light during the incident, the military’s D.C. Joint Task Force said Thursday.
Red light tickets cost $150 in D.C.
“Our priority is ensuring the well-being of all involved. We are grateful for the response of D.C. police and EMS. Safety is our top priority. We will take action based on the investigation. This type of vehicle is authorized, and safety protocols are in place,” Army Col. Larry Doane, commander of the joint task force for D.C., said in a statement.
National Guard personnel have been deployed in the capital city since last week, when Mr. Trump ordered the D.C. Guard — which is controlled by the president — to crack down on what he called an “epidemic of crime.” Federal agents have also patrolled the city, and Mr. Trump has asserted control over the local Metropolitan Police Department.
Just under 2,000 Guard personnel were activated in the capital as of Wednesday, including members of the D.C. National Guard as well as forces from six GOP-led states. The Guard members “may be armed, consistent with their training, depending on the mission, operating under civilian law enforcement,” the Joint Task Force said in a statement.
Guard forces and heavy military vehicles have been spotted throughout the city, including at Union Station and near the Washington Monument.
The moves have drawn pushback from local officials who argue the surge is unnecessary. Violent crime in D.C. has been declining for the last year-and-a-half after spiking in 2023, according to local police data — despite Mr. Trump’s claim that crime is on the upswing.
Mary Walsh
contributed to this report.
Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston.
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