Car rams gate at Camp Pendleton in attempt to gain unauthorized access
A car attempted to gain unauthorized access into Camp Pendleton on Friday, causing a temporary closure of the military base's main gate.
According to camp officials, a person attempted to ram the United States Marine Corps base's main gate at around 6:30 p.m.
"The MCB Camp Pendleton Provost Marshall Office deployed the final denial barriers and disabled the vehicle," officials said via Twitter.
Video on social media shows the car engulfed in flames and suffering considerable damage to the front end of the vehicle after colliding with the barrier.
We can confirm at approximately 6:30 p.m. there was an attempt to gain unauthorized access to the installation. The MCB Camp Pendleton Provost Marshall Office deployed the final denial barriers and disabled the vehicle. We will provide further information when available.
— Camp Pendleton (@MCIWPendletonCA) January 28, 2023
It was unclear who was behind the wheel or why they were attempting to gain access to the base, which is the major USMC base on the West Coast.
The main gate was reopened at around 9:00 p.m. While the incident continued, visitors were advised to access the area using the Del Mar Gate.
Camp Pendleton was founded in 1942 in order to train service members for World War II. It spans through much of Southern California, reaching through San Diego County, Orange County and Riverside County, covering 125,000 acres.