When a MATV — a military vehicle that weighs up to 16 tons meets an SUV.
On August 20, 2025, a D.C. National Guard member in an MRAP vehicle ran a red light and crashed into a civilian SUV near Eastern Market, D.C., resulting in the trapping and minor injury of the civilian driver. The National Guard driver was ticketed, and a statement from the Joint Task Force District of Columbia (JTF-DC) indicated they would take action based on the investigation.
Details of the incident:
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Time: Approximately 6 a.m.
Location: Eighth Street SE and North Carolina Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Vehicles involved: A D.C. National Guard Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle and a civilian SUV.
Cause: The National Guard member was ticketed for running a red light.
Injuries: The driver of the civilian SUV was trapped and had to be extricated by emergency responders. They were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Response and aftermath:
D.C. police and EMS responded to the scene.
U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, the JTF-DC commander, stated that the well-being of all involved was a priority and that actions would be taken based on the investigation.
The crash occurred during the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., following an order by President Trump to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and crack down on crime.
NPR Report:
A National Guard military vehicle crashed into a car in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning, injuring the driver. The incident comes after President Trump ordered hundreds of Guard troops to the District as a part of his D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (MATV) — a military vehicle that weighs up to 16 tons and is meant to withstand explosive attacks — collided with a "civilian vehicle" just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., according to Master Sgt. Erich B. Smith of the National Guard Bureau. The MATV was one of five D.C. National Guard vehicles.
"The five-vehicle convoy and a D.C. Metropolitan Police cruiser stopped and rendered aid to the civilian, who was transported via EMS," Smith said in a statement.
The person was rescued from their vehicle, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, according to the D.C. Fire Department.
A video circulating on social media shows a MATV feet away from a SUV at the scene of the crash — the intersection of 8th Street SE and North Carolina Avenue.
Samuel Pastore, who serves as the neighborhood commissioner, lives nearby. He criticized what he called the "oversized militarized 'police' forces."
"Our kids are getting back to school," Pastore said. "Get these tanks out of our streets!"
The deployment of the D.C. National Guard comes after Trump's declaration of a "crime emergency" in the nation's capital. National Guard troops from Tennessee, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Ohio have also been ordered to the District by their respective governors.
Earlier this month, Trump deployed the district's troops, took federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department and stationed hundreds of federal law enforcement officers across D.C.
Federal authorities have made 550 arrests in Washington since Aug. 7, including 3 known gang members, according to a White House official not authorized to share specific data publicly. Some 76 firearms also have been seized, they added.
The Metropolitan Police Department did not release a report on the crash because there was no criminal offense, according to MPD spokesperson Michael Russo.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was not immediately available to comment on the crash.
Details of the incident:
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Time: Approximately 6 a.m.
Location: Eighth Street SE and North Carolina Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Vehicles involved: A D.C. National Guard Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicle and a civilian SUV.
Cause: The National Guard member was ticketed for running a red light.
Injuries: The driver of the civilian SUV was trapped and had to be extricated by emergency responders. They were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Response and aftermath:
D.C. police and EMS responded to the scene.
U.S. Army Col. Larry Doane, the JTF-DC commander, stated that the well-being of all involved was a priority and that actions would be taken based on the investigation.
The crash occurred during the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., following an order by President Trump to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and crack down on crime.
NPR Report:
A National Guard military vehicle crashed into a car in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning, injuring the driver. The incident comes after President Trump ordered hundreds of Guard troops to the District as a part of his D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (MATV) — a military vehicle that weighs up to 16 tons and is meant to withstand explosive attacks — collided with a "civilian vehicle" just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., according to Master Sgt. Erich B. Smith of the National Guard Bureau. The MATV was one of five D.C. National Guard vehicles.
"The five-vehicle convoy and a D.C. Metropolitan Police cruiser stopped and rendered aid to the civilian, who was transported via EMS," Smith said in a statement.
The person was rescued from their vehicle, suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, according to the D.C. Fire Department.
A video circulating on social media shows a MATV feet away from a SUV at the scene of the crash — the intersection of 8th Street SE and North Carolina Avenue.
Samuel Pastore, who serves as the neighborhood commissioner, lives nearby. He criticized what he called the "oversized militarized 'police' forces."
"Our kids are getting back to school," Pastore said. "Get these tanks out of our streets!"
The deployment of the D.C. National Guard comes after Trump's declaration of a "crime emergency" in the nation's capital. National Guard troops from Tennessee, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Ohio have also been ordered to the District by their respective governors.
Earlier this month, Trump deployed the district's troops, took federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department and stationed hundreds of federal law enforcement officers across D.C.
Federal authorities have made 550 arrests in Washington since Aug. 7, including 3 known gang members, according to a White House official not authorized to share specific data publicly. Some 76 firearms also have been seized, they added.
The Metropolitan Police Department did not release a report on the crash because there was no criminal offense, according to MPD spokesperson Michael Russo.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was not immediately available to comment on the crash.
