Police looking for driver who crashed through S.C. nuclear power plant gate

Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Authorities Friday were looking for a man they say crashed his Toyota Camry through a gate Thursday night attempting to hit security officers at an Oconee County, South Carolina, nuclear power plant.

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: "After the vehicle struck the pop-up barricades that security at the plant activated, the driver backed the vehicle up and proceeded down a dirt road, where Duke Energy security blocked the vehicle in, according to deputies. The driver then drove through a fence after attempting to hit the security officers."

According to the sheriff's office, the driver drove out the exit of the plant, attempted to hit a truck with a guard in it and drove on Highway 183 into Pickens County, where he pulled onto some property on Jones Mills Road where shots were fired.

The source of the shots is unknown, according to the sheriff's department.

The white 2002 Toyota Camry with Arkansas license plate 380VDR was driven by a White male.

About an hour before the incident, police said, the man showed up at the nuclear power station and drove away when asked to leave.

"A vehicle entered an administrative gate, but was not able to access the plant due to our multiple layers of security," said Duke Energy spokesperson Mikayla Kreuzberger. "Advanced surveillance equipment and physical intrusion barriers consisting of concrete structures and razor wire surround the site."