Город Темпл отказался раскрыть данные о столкновении полицейского дрона с грузовиком

The city of Temple is withholding records related to a June 2 collision involving a police drone that sent the driver of a tractor-trailer truck to the hospital. Records released in response to a Telegram request for reports involving tractor-trailer trucks and police drones identified a crash at 2:36 p.m. June 2 involving a tractor-trailer truck traveling northbound on Interstate 35 at West Nugent Avenue, or Exit 302. The injured driver, Gurdeep Gill, a Canadian citizen, confirmed in a separate records request on June 15 he was transported to a hospital after the crash but did not know which hospital. “I, Gurdeep Gill, got into an accident on June 2 2026 regarding a police drone and my truck. I am unsure of what hospital I went to as I am a Canadian citizen and lost my medical records. I am simply looking to know which hospital I ended up to. My case number is TPD260045588. The address I have provided is my sister’s in California as there is no option to put in any Canadian provinces.” The Telegram requested crash records for this incident from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The agency stated it does not maintain records of other governmental bodies following a records request. “We suggest you contact the Texas Department of Transportation or the city of Temple to request responsive records,” DPS General Counsel Jahnna Ward emailed. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) did not have the collision report in its open records system, according to a records search and an Aug. 10 email notice received by Telegram. The notice states law enforcement agencies have 10 working days to provide crash reports to TxDOT and directs people seeking records not in the system to contact the responding law enforcement agency, which would be Temple. When the Telegram requested the police report Gill cited and the accident report from the city — exercising a right granted under Texas Transportation Code §550.065 — interim Temple City Attorney Charla Thomas referred the request to the attorney general’s office for a ruling. The city said it anticipated a lawsuit from Gill based on a governmental notice of liability claim filed by the Cochran Firm on July 28. The Telegram submitted its records request five days before that notice. The Telegram contacted the Cochran Firm regarding Gill’s potential lawsuit and to speak with him, but the firm declined. “He is understandably uncomfortable speaking about the incident and continues to experience pain from his injuries. We appreciate your understanding and ask that you respect his need to focus on his recovery at this time,” paralegal Tasha L. Williams emailed. A separate Telegram request for a list of Temple Police drones no longer in service since May 31, 2026, identified a DJI Matrice 30T as having “been out of service since early June while undergoing manufacturer repairs due to a faulty antenna.” The DJI Matrice 30T is a high-performance commercial and public safety drone that integrates with advanced aerial response ecosystems like Flock Safety automated security and policing tools. The city did not specify why the antenna was faulty, but the timing of the drone’s removal from service is within the timeframe of the June 2 collision. The Telegram has appealed the city request for an attorney general ruling on the collision report and on specific accident reports from the same date and time. Temple Police public relations coordinator Sydney McBride said drone operators must hold and maintain a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. “All officers assigned to the drone unit must train regularly in a variety of locations, settings and times of day to ensure operational readiness and proficiency,” McBride said. “Training reinforces FAA requirements, department policies and established safety procedures to ensure drones are operated responsibly, effectively and in support of public safety.” The attorney general ruling will determine whether Temple must release the requested collision records.