Washington DC - A driver died after crashing a car into the exterior gate of the White House late Saturday, the US Secret Service said.

"Shortly before 10:30 PM a vehicle traveling at a high speed collided with an outer perimeter gate on the White House complex," the service said in a statement on X, adding there was "no threat" to the White House itself.

Officers arriving at the scene "attempted to render aid to the driver who was discovered deceased," the statement said.

The Secret Service, along with the police and fire departments of the District of Columbia, have launched an investigation into the fatal crash, according to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.

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He added there was "no threat or public safety implications".

In January, authorities detained another person who crashed a vehicle into the exterior gate of the same complex.

The White House has seen a string of high-profile trespassing incidents in recent years. In 2017, a man who scaled a fence walked around the grounds for more than 16 minutes before he was arrested, while then-president Donald Trump was inside the building.

A higher, tougher metal fence around the iconic mansion's perimeter has since been constructed.