Wright-Patt won’t say what took so long to stop car after security breach

Base says driver was stopped more than 15 minutes after not following order to turn around.

A driver who did not show proper identification refused an order to turn around and drove through a Wright-Patterson gateway, leading to gate closures and causing a traffic backlog, according to a base spokeswoman.

Security forces stopped the suspect within about 15 to 20 minutes of the driver not following a sentry’s order to turn around after he entered through Gate 12A around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, said Wright-Patterson spokeswoman Marie Vanover.

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The man was questioned by security forces, but was not arrested and was later released, she said.

Base officials won’t say what took so long to stop the driver.

The gate is off Ohio 444 near the Air Force Materiel Command headquarters.

The security incident temporarily closed all base gates, causing a traffic backlog, she said.

“The fact that this was at a time when people are leaving at the end of the day, that’s really what backed up the traffic,” she said.

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Vanover said the gates reopened after the incident, but did not immediately have a time on how long they closed as a security precaution.

The suspect remained in his vehicle during the incident, she said.

Authorities did not immediately have an explanation on what the delay was in locating the suspect.

Additional information was not immediately available.

In a similar security breach in November 2015, a Beavercreek man drove through Gate 22A at Interstate 675 and entered an Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate building, causing an hours-long employee evacuation and a shelter-in-place order at a nearby child care center.

The man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Dayton last month to trespassing-related charges.

DEVELOPING STORY

Our reporters will continue asking base officials why it took base security more than 15 minutes to stop a driver that went through a security checkpoint Thursday without proper identification. Look for more updates today at DaytonDailyNews.com

Do you have any information on this? Contact our military affairs reporter Barrie Barber at 937-225-2363 or at barrie.barber@coxinc.com

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