Police in the Canadian capital Ottawa arrested a 29-year-old local man after he rammed his vehicle into the front gates of Parliament Hill early Wednesday.
Maxwell Pate is charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle as well as mischief, according to court documents. Parliament Hill is the site of the federal government.
Police say they took Pate into custody without incident. The vehicle was prevented from travelling further thanks to security impediments. The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m.
It is one of two bizarre incidents involving gates and vehicles in Ottawa on Wednesday. A bus rammed the gates at the Ottawa residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well.
A tour bus crashed into the gates at the entrance to 24 Sussex Dr., the official but unoccupied home of the prime minister, police reported.
Trudeau and his wife and three children are on vacation in Costa Rica, and when in Ottawa, they are living at Rideau Cottage. The Sussex Drive residence needs extensive renovations totaling about CAN$36 million ($28 million).
The driver was the lone person on the bus and police have not drawn a link between the two occurrences. No charges have been laid and the driver was not injured.
