A quiet night in Hillsborough turned chaotic Thursday evening after reports of an alleged drone crash sparked a large-scale search involving multiple agencies.
For weeks now, a mystery has been hovering over the New Jersey skies, as hundreds of sightings of mysterious car-size drones are recorded nearly every day.
A sense of frustration is widespread after the Pentagon failed to properly address the issue. Officials have so far admitted that the craft are very sophisticated, ‘becoming undetectable once a police drone or helicopter gives chase’.
On Thursday night, a reported drone crash sparked a massive search-and-rescue operation in Hillsborough Township.
At approximately 8:34 p.m., Hillsborough police responded to a call reporting drones in the air near the Lowe’s parking lot. According to the witness, one of the drones allegedly struck high-tension power lines before crashing into a nearby field, My Central Jersey reported.
The report triggered a multi-agency response involving the Hillsborough Office of Emergency Management, Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, multiple fire departments, the State Police Aviation Unit, and even hazardous material specialists.
Emergency responders worked through the night, combing the field near Hillsborough Promenade on foot and from the air.
At dawn, the search resumed with drones deployed by the Millstone Valley Fire Department and additional ground support from Somerset County’s Hazardous Material Unit.
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But after nearly 16 hours of searching, officials came up empty-handed, and the operation was called off around noon on Friday.
The lack of evidence has left residents uneasy, especially after state and federal officials stepped in. Democrat Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to Joe Biden expressing concerns about drone activity and calling for additional federal resources.
Read his letter below:
“I write with growing concern about reports of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in and around New Jersey airspace. As you are aware, UAS have become a standard feature of American life over the last decade, used by hobbyists, researchers, and for commercial purposes alike.
The proliferation of this technology has introduced additional risks to public safety, privacy, and homeland security, while state and local law enforcement entities remain hamstrung by existing laws and policies to successfully counteract them, leaving action around UAS squarely on the shoulders of the federal government.
Since November 181h, New Jersey State Police have received reports of UAS sightings in our airspace. Existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, and at my request, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas briefed my administration and our Congressional delegation on actions the agency would take to learn more about the reported UAS activity. His team, as well as your Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, have been exceptional partners in trying to unearth the cause of these reported sightings.
A team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been leading the interagency investigation and we are appreciative of their attention to this matter.
While I am sincerely grateful for your administration’s leadership in addressing this concerning issue, it has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity.
This week the FBI testified in a joint subcommittee hearing before Congress that the federal government alone cannot address UAS. New Jersey residents deserve more concrete information about these UAS sightings and what is causing them. The continued reporting of UAS activity has raised more questions than answers and prompted an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms.
I respectfully urge you to continue to direct the federal agencies involved to work together until they uncover answers as to what is behind the UAS sightings. I have directed the New Jersey State Police and our Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) to assist them in any capacity.
In addition, I have supported your administration’s efforts in asking Congress to extend counter-UAS flexibilities to state and local law enforcement entities and to support additional funding for these activities.
I am encouraged that consensus in Congress is building around providing these additional authorities, which will be necessary as New Jersey prepares to host the FIFA World Cup Final in less than two years, and I look forward to their action on this issue of national security.”
I wrote to @POTUS to express my concerns about reports of unmanned aircraft systems in and around NJ airspace.
Since existing laws limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to counter UAS, more federal resources are needed to understand what is behind this activity. pic.twitter.com/mkeUeW7ury
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 13, 2024
The post Panic in Hillsborough: Alleged Drone Crash Sparks Massive Search Operation for 16 Hours Before Being Dismissed as a False Alarm appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
