Man crashed through Fort Meade gate, hid on grounds overnight, officials say

A man drove a stolen car through an unmanned security gate and hid in a storm drain overnight on the Army installation that is home to the National Security Agency, authorities said.

The eventual arrest of the man, identified by police as Dante Small, 41, marked the end of the second recent security breach at the gates of Fort Meade in Maryland.

Army Col. Brian P. Foley, the garrison commander at Fort Meade, told reporters Thursday afternoonthat Small entered the installation in a stolen car while he was being chased by Anne Arundel County police. He drove through a closed, unmanned access gate at high speed, then crashed into a fence on the installation.

Foley said that Small, who lives in Hagerstown, Md., got out of the car, ran away and hid in a storm drain. He stayed underground overnight and was caught shortly after he emerged about 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Foley said.

Several schools closed for the day Thursday because of the all-night manhunt at the secure government facility.

Read more: Man crashed through Fort Meade gate, hid on grounds overnight, officials say