Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

Australian media have finally carried the story.

Midnight Rider train crash death footage aired

Andrew

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

EPILOG: Guilty and sentenced

Movie director gets 2 years for train crash that killed crew member | New York Post

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

What a terrible tragedy for all involved. If the director was going to wing it and go ahead and film on the trestle / tracks after having been denied permission you would think he would at least have made the effort to find out the train schedule to make sure one would not be coming. If that was not possible they could have placed spotters a mile or so up and down the track from where they were at with radios to warn them in case of a train.

I have spent some time on various film location shoots and have always witnessed an extreme amount of professionalism and concern for safety.

I do respect that the director has taken responsibility for his actions and cut a plea deal to spare his wife jail time.

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

IMO It's really too bad that the prosecutor felt his case wasn't strong enough to go after the wife and other producer. I'm sorry but I have no respect for any of them nor do I have a single ounce of empathy for any of them. They broke the rule if not the law and caused injury and death and KNEW that their action might cause harm. Those freight trains (according to information I read earlier) are not on a particular schedule and since the freight company said NO to them not once but TWICE, their actions were inexcusable. They should ALL serve 10 years and be banned from even working in the industry. PERIOD!

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

Would it have even been a good shot, not having permission? If the low budget had become a blockbuster and the train company had sued, reputations would have rolled and maybe some bucks.

This was a tragic loss of life and needless injury. We all want to do a great job, but putting lives at risk to do that great job is incomprehensible. 2 years was not enough, and why did so many people get 0 years?

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

New footage of the accident released

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

That footage is absolutely chilling!

Hard to believe any director would put anyone into that kind of danger!

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

Wow! And they even edited the scene even though someone was killed? The footage I found says "not public" so I am not going to share the link showing the edited scene, but nothing was stopping the editing, not even this tragedy. You would think it all would have ended on the tragic day... If the director had been that sorry HE would have ended it, but the scene I found shows a very edited scene with everyone on place on the tracks.

From the scene posted, it looks like people could not get by the idots who were clogging escape by trying to drag the hospital bed. This is really bad!

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

Hollywood discovers a new theme/plot for a horror movie in 5, 4, 3 ...

Andrew

Re: Camera Assistant death on the set of Midnight Rider.
 

-- peer