National Guard MRAP crashes into civilian car in Capitol Hill

A National Guard Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle collided with a civilian car early Wednesday in Capitol Hill, as roughly 1,900 troops were stationed around Washington, D.C., to support a federal crime and immigration initiative. The driver of the civilian car was rescued by emergency responders and transported to a hospital with minor injuries; the military vehicle’s occupant was not reported to be seriously harmed. The crash occurred at the intersection of 8th Street Southeast and North Carolina Avenue Southeast, about a mile from the Capitol, as a five-vehicle convoy including a Metropolitan Police cruiser paused to render aid to the civilian.

Video from the scene showed a tan MATV standing adjacent to a silver SUV with a crushed side, underscoring the scale difference between the armored vehicle and a standard car. Witnesses at the scene raised questions about the presence of heavily armored military equipment in the city, with at least one bystander calling out to the troops to emphasize local concerns. The driver of the civilian vehicle was conscious and breathing after the collision and remained in noncritical condition, according to authorities.