Travis AFB Main Gate Closed After Unauthorized Car Drives Through, Crashes

An unauthorized driver drove through the main gate of Travis Air Force Base (AFB) in California on Wednesday night and eventually crashed the car, forcing officials to close that entrance.

Officials at the Travis AFB tweeted asking people to use the hospital gate until the incident has been resolved. The base, however, was not locked down, they said.

The incident happened at 6:55 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, and the driver has not been identified yet. Fairfield police, Travis medical personnel, the explosives disposal unit, Special Forces and the office of special investigations and other first responders reached the scene immediately after the incident.

Officials stated parts of the base were blocked off as the crash was being investigated. No other details were released.

The Travis AFB issued a statement explaining the incident:

"Travis Air Force Base First responders and Fairfield emergency officials are responding to an incident near the main gate. Between 6:55 and 7 p.m. on Mar. 21, a car gained unauthorized access to the Travis AFB main gate. The car crashed shortly afterward and security forces immediately responded. Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Security Forces, Office of Special Investigations and other first responders are on the scene.

The incident is still under investigation. The public is being asked to stay away from the base at this time to ensure emergency officials can respond accordingly.

Contact the 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office for any additional information. They can be reached at (707) 424-2011 or by emailing 60amwpa@us.af.mil."

Travis AFB further explained on Twitter, saying: "In light of the ongoing investigation into tonight's security incident, travel in and out of the main gate is restricted until further notice. The Hospital Gate will be open. We will continue to provide updates as soon as they become available."

In June, Travis AFB in Fairfield was under lockdown for more than an hour after a training exercise reportedly appeared to turn into an incident involving a real security threat.

Emergency personnel said they responded to reports of a shooting on the base outside of Fairfield; however, officials lifted the lockdown after around 90 minutes, citing the incident as a "false alarm."

"There were reports of potential gunshots outside of the base exchange. Emergency personnel responded immediately," Staff Sgt. Nicole Leidholm said. "No shooter was found, and the base lockdown was lifted. We’ll be looking into the details of what surrounded it."

An active shooter situation was reported at the Base Exchange, and the public was asked to stay away from the area while emergency responders acted on the scene. A shelter in-place warning had also been sent out by the base in a Twitter post. However, no shooter was found and the situation was declared a false alarm.

Col. John Klein, the 60th Air Mobility Wing’s commander, said, "Our first responders acted absolutely appropriately and in an instance like this, we do not question those reports. We simply respond to ensure the safety of our personnel and everybody that is in the base."