https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/21/national-guard-red-light-ticket/

The crash Wednesday on Capitol Hill left an SUV driver with a minor head laceration, officials have said.

The driver of an armored D.C. National Guard vehicle involved in a collision with a civilian’s SUV on Wednesday on Capitol Hill has been issued a ticket for running a red light, according to a news release from Joint Task Force D.C., the command overseeing Guard troops in Washington.

“Our priority is ensuring the well-being of all involved,” the task force’s commander, Army Col. Larry Doane, said in a statement, adding that an investigation is underway. “… This type of vehicle is authorized, and safety protocols are in place.”

Officials have said the SUV driver was extricated from the vehicle by firefighters and sent to a hospital with a minor head laceration. The task force statement said D.C. police officers and members of a five-vehicle convoy stopped to help the driver.

The crash came as President Donald Trump has deployed federal law enforcement and National Guard troops from several states onto D.C. streets to deter crime.

The 14-ton military truck driven by the D.C. National Guard member is known as an M-ATV, or mine-resistant ambush-protected all-terrain vehicle. They are mainly used in warfare after first being deployed by the Pentagon overseas to Afghanistan in 2009.

M-ATVs have a V-shaped hull to avert roadside explosions. Their reinforced, rectangular windows lower the risk of incoming gunfire but offer less visibility than windshields typically found on the road. Due to their size, these trucks can be difficult to drive in small spaces and can produce more damage in collisions than smaller vehicles.