Deaths on the big screen might not faze some viewers, but a death behind the camera of a film might surprise some. Recently, a woman working on a film set in Georgia lost her life in a tragic accident. Although the death occurred in February, the producers of the film have only recently been indicted on criminal charges related to her death.
The incident apparently occurred while filming was taking place on some railroad tracks. Without warning, a train appeared, striking various crew members. Many were injured, and the woman in question — who was working as a camera assistant at the time — was killed. The producers of the film, who are also husband and wife, have since cancelled filming and terminated the movie altogether.
Additionally, they have been indicted on charges of criminal trespass, as well as involuntary manslaughter. A third, non-related individual who was also indicted on both charges was listed as executive producer and also acted as the film’s production manager. This isn’t the first death to occur on a movie set. In 1982, three people were killed while filming a “Twilight Zone” movie. There were also criminal charges in that incident, although those accused of manslaughter were all later acquitted.
If convicted, those accused could potentially face up to an 11 year prison sentence. The death at this Georgia-located film set was undoubtedly a terrible tragedy, but emotions might be best set aside in order to fully protect the rights and innocence of those accused of criminal charges. Though previous charges for a similar incident were previously acquitted, the accused might still be well advised to carefully review all of the charges and evidence that prosecutors intend to rely upon alongside their counsel. Doing so can prepare them to fight the charges to their fullest while also exploring the possibility of a plea agreement so as to have the opportunity to choose a line of defense that the accused individual determines is in their own best interests.
Source: The New York Times, “Filmmakers Face Charges in Death on a Set in Georgia“, Michael Cieply, July 3, 2014
