Recordings contradict councilman

FERRIS – Recently released audio tapes of Councilman Gary Ross, after being involved in an accident during the annual 9/11 memorial tribute on Malloy Bridge Road Sunday, Sept. 11, contradicts Ross’ earlier statements made to The Ellis County Press. 

The accident involved Ross backing a fire truck he was driving into another truck damaging a bumper and bruising a little girl.

When The Ellis County Press contacted Ross for comment, he declined, saying, “ I don’t understand why y’all are making such a big deal out of it[the accident].”

Phone calls are transcribed below:

Officer Ernesto Fierro and Gary Ross Sunday, Sept. 11

Officer: Hey Gary, Hey how you doing man, you alright??

Ross: Yeah, I am fine this sucks.

Officer: Yeah, I know man.

Ross: Swing by there, you gonna be around tomo or somebody?

Officer: Yeah, I will be here.

Officer: We had to get county to come out here to do this accident thing, and all I need is your DL number.

Ross: Okay, you ready?

Officer: Yes, sir.

Officer: Sleep man, they didn’t give us an ETA when they are gonna get out here so I figure maybe I an hour or two, I don’t think they will need you to come out but if they do I will give you a call.

Ross: I’ll prob be out by then.

Officer: I’m sorry Gary, it’s an accident man, it happens man.

Ross: Yeah, but really the bad thing is, they will be checking out that I really shouldn’t be driving, I don’t have a class C or Class B exempt. Or C isn’t it? Whichever it is. So, S**t.

Officer: Oh okay.

Officer: It’s alright Gary man.

Officer: Just try to get some sleep and if county is gonna require you t o come out I will give you a call. 

Officer: Alright man, get some sleep man. Thanks bye. 

New call: Sunday, Sept. 11 between Ross and Fierro

Dispatch : Ferris Police Department

Ross: Hey can I speak to Fierro?

Ferrio: Hello

Ross: Hey it’s Gary.

Officer: Hey Gary, what’s up man?

Ross: I was just thinking man, you know the newspaper will make a big deal out of it. Hopefully it’s just an accident report and we will turn it into history. 

Officer: Yeah that’s it. That’s all, that’s gonna happen it just happened to happen in Dallas county.

Ross: Right.

Officer: No, that’s all…that’s gonna happen Gary don’t worry about it. It’s just an accident.

Ross: Otherwise if they get a hold of it they will make a big deal out of it.

Officer: No man, no big deal Gary. As far as I know it’s not.

Ross: It sucks.

Officer: I know, man I know. I mean y’all were out there doing something great and uh, it was just an accident Gary. Don’t lose any sleep over it.

Ross: Yeah but, the only thing that bothers me like I said was I don’t, I used to have but I let it go, what’s it a Class C?

Officer: Yeah.

Ross: B exempt…

Officer: Yeah B exempt

Ross: So, I just don’t want the newspaper to get a hold of this. All we need is the accident report and we will get it to our insurance. 

Officer: Yeah that’s it. We aren’t calling nobody, but Dallas County just gotta come out here and do it and that’s it.

Ross: Alright.

Officer: so, we aren’t calling anybody.

Ross: Here’s my story….my foot slipped. I had these thongs on and my foot slipped off the brake and roll back.

Officer: yeah, yeah.

Ross: Before I could stop it, it bumped into him.

Officer: Right.

Ross: All it did was pretty much bend his bumper.

Officer: That’s all Gary, don’t worry about it.

Ross: Alright man.

Officer: I’ll let you uhh.., I don’t work tomorrow but, I’ll get up around, I get up after 2 o’clock if you want to give me a call like at 3 or 4 tomorrow if you still want to know what’s up or if you…heard anything different.

Ross: I got your number in my phone somewhere but my sim card got screwed up so if you wanna text it to me if you don’t mind.

Officer: Okay, I’ll try to holler at you tomorrow then when I get up. So how you’re doing.

Ross: I’m ain’t worry about that, I’m just worried about, you know, the damn paper more than anything else.

Officer: No man, I don’t think, well…it’s not gonna come from us I can tell ya that. It’s not gonna come from us. I’ll tell you that right now.

Ross: If you just said…[inaudible] the accident report.

Ross: Yeah, that’s all it is.

Ross: [inaudible] if they get a hold of it, they will blow it up.

Officer: Like I said, it not gonna come from us. (laughs)

Ross: Alright man.

Officer: Well, I don’t know if you knew but, Eddie Duran called the city manager.

Ross: okay.

Officer: So, I don’t know if you are aware of that.

Ross: No, it’s fine. 

Officer: And of course we had to call our chief cause I thought we could go ahead and just do it since it was just vehicle to vehicle and nothing else but he [ Chief Sam Love] said no…it happened in Dallas County gotta do it right. So, he wanted us to give Dallas County a call to come and do it.

Ross: Alright man.

Officer: Okay Gary, get some sleep bro.

Ross: Alright [laughs]

Officer: Alright talk to you later, bye.