Exclusive: The parents of Sarah Jones are calling on the DGA to kick Randall Miller out of the guild after learning that he recently directed a new movie, Higher Grounds, in Serbia and Colombia last summer — this despite the special conditions of his probation after he spent a year in jail for the death of their daughter, Sarah Jones.
Jones was killed by a speeding freight train on the first and only day of shooting on the Miller-directed Midnight Rider in Georgia in 2014.
In a statement provided to Deadline tonight, Jones’ parents, Richard and Elizabeth, said that “The legal system will decide whether Mr. Miller violated the terms of his probation when he produced and directed the feature film Higher Grounds. But in our opinion he most certainly violated the moral and ethical standards that informed his court sentencing. To us, his actions were blatantly defiant and egregiously disrespectful to the entire creative community,...
Jones was killed by a speeding freight train on the first and only day of shooting on the Miller-directed Midnight Rider in Georgia in 2014.
In a statement provided to Deadline tonight, Jones’ parents, Richard and Elizabeth, said that “The legal system will decide whether Mr. Miller violated the terms of his probation when he produced and directed the feature film Higher Grounds. But in our opinion he most certainly violated the moral and ethical standards that informed his court sentencing. To us, his actions were blatantly defiant and egregiously disrespectful to the entire creative community,...
- 5/28/2020
- by David Robb, Anthony D'Alessandro and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Randall Miller, the director who spent a year in prison after pleading to involuntary manslaughter when camera assistant Sarah Jones was killed during production of his film “Midnight Rider,” has directed another movie — despite a clause in his plea agreement that called for a 10-year probation in which he was “prohibited from serving as director, first assistant director or supervisor with responsibility for safety in any film production.”
However, Miller is now in post production on “Higher Grounds,” a comedy centered around a barista championship, that he shot in Serbia, Colombia, and the U.K. Miller’s attorney, Richard Thompson of Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson, said he believed the production did not violate the terms of the plea agreement.
“Our understanding of the terms of his probation is that he’s allowed to direct as long as he’s not in charge of safety,” Thompson told IndieWire. “We were...
However, Miller is now in post production on “Higher Grounds,” a comedy centered around a barista championship, that he shot in Serbia, Colombia, and the U.K. Miller’s attorney, Richard Thompson of Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson, said he believed the production did not violate the terms of the plea agreement.
“Our understanding of the terms of his probation is that he’s allowed to direct as long as he’s not in charge of safety,” Thompson told IndieWire. “We were...
- 5/27/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Due to ambiguity in probation documents, disgraced Midnight Rider director Randall Miller is back behind the camera and making movies – despite an involuntarily manslaughter guilty plea that many believed forbid such work for up to decade.
Deadline has learned that Miller directed the comedy Higher Grounds in Serbia and Colombia last year. The completed feature follows a vegan barista, played by Glow‘s Kate Nash, whose coffee shop is sinking, and gears up as the underdogs in the World Barista Championships. Higher Grounds was produced by Miller and his wife Jody Savin, who was also an initial defendant in the Sarah Jones death case, with charges eventually dismissed.
Jay Karandikar, Satish Karandikar, Zak Kristofek and Michael Melroy Smith are also executive producers on Higher Grounds.
Some talent reps who had their clients involved in the new movie wanted to vet Miller’s current situation to direct, we’ve learned.
Deadline has learned that Miller directed the comedy Higher Grounds in Serbia and Colombia last year. The completed feature follows a vegan barista, played by Glow‘s Kate Nash, whose coffee shop is sinking, and gears up as the underdogs in the World Barista Championships. Higher Grounds was produced by Miller and his wife Jody Savin, who was also an initial defendant in the Sarah Jones death case, with charges eventually dismissed.
Jay Karandikar, Satish Karandikar, Zak Kristofek and Michael Melroy Smith are also executive producers on Higher Grounds.
Some talent reps who had their clients involved in the new movie wanted to vet Miller’s current situation to direct, we’ve learned.
- 5/27/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro, Dominic Patten and David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Joyce Gilliard, the hair stylist who was seriously injured in the train accident that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones on the first day of shooting Midnight Rider in 2014, has written and produced a short film about safety on the set. The 40-minute film, Daddy’s Home, will launch on YouTube and other social media platforms on February 20 – the sixth anniversary of the accident.
Watch the trailer above.
“Daddy’s Home follows the life of a film industry crew member who loves his job but tries to juggle working consistently long hours and being home with his family, and the toll it can take if safety precautions are not taken,” Gilliard said. “It allows the viewer to understand the sacrifices many cast and crew members take to bring their favorite movies to the big screen.”
“Daddy’s Home will be the first of several short films I will produce that will bring perspective...
Watch the trailer above.
“Daddy’s Home follows the life of a film industry crew member who loves his job but tries to juggle working consistently long hours and being home with his family, and the toll it can take if safety precautions are not taken,” Gilliard said. “It allows the viewer to understand the sacrifices many cast and crew members take to bring their favorite movies to the big screen.”
“Daddy’s Home will be the first of several short films I will produce that will bring perspective...
- 2/12/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with AMC statement: After two days of deliberations, the Georgia jury in the trial of the wrongful death of The Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker returned with a verdict this afternoon.
AMC Networks were found “not to be negligent” in the death of the stuntman, said the juror foreperson in an unanimous decision just read out in court.
However, the estate of Bernecker, as represented by his mother, was awarded $8.6 million from the jury in civil damages. There were no additional punitive damages. Any appeal looks to be unlikely as the nearly $9 million that the jury deemed in damages will be covered by insurance, a source close to the case told Deadline.
Adding a further twist to this verdict, the jury decided that Bernecker was in fact an independent contractor, not an employee of production company Stalwart Films, which seems to be the main focus of liability in the jury’s perspective Thursday.
AMC Networks were found “not to be negligent” in the death of the stuntman, said the juror foreperson in an unanimous decision just read out in court.
However, the estate of Bernecker, as represented by his mother, was awarded $8.6 million from the jury in civil damages. There were no additional punitive damages. Any appeal looks to be unlikely as the nearly $9 million that the jury deemed in damages will be covered by insurance, a source close to the case told Deadline.
Adding a further twist to this verdict, the jury decided that Bernecker was in fact an independent contractor, not an employee of production company Stalwart Films, which seems to be the main focus of liability in the jury’s perspective Thursday.
- 12/19/2019
- by Ted Johnson and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Like Midnight Rider’s director before her, the film’s first assistant director Hillary Schwartz asked for and was denied leniency by a Georgia court for her part in the death of her 27 year-old crew member Sarah Jones. Schwartz had motioned the court for a shortened sentence last year asking that her probation end. She was sentenced to 10 years probation in March 2015 for criminal trespass and felony involuntary manslaughter for her role in the camera assistant’s death.
The motion was heard on Dec. 18th, compelling Jones’ parents to once again travel to Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison’s courtroom in Georgia right before their fifth Christmas without their daughter to oppose Schwartz’s motion. Sarah Jones’ father Richard Jones said at the time that it would undermine everything (the family and industry) have worked to accomplish in the wake of their daughter’s death. “We are working to change the culture of an industry,...
The motion was heard on Dec. 18th, compelling Jones’ parents to once again travel to Superior Court Judge Anthony Harrison’s courtroom in Georgia right before their fifth Christmas without their daughter to oppose Schwartz’s motion. Sarah Jones’ father Richard Jones said at the time that it would undermine everything (the family and industry) have worked to accomplish in the wake of their daughter’s death. “We are working to change the culture of an industry,...
- 3/19/2019
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
A settlement has been reached in the wrongful death case involving camera assistant Sarah Jones, who was killed in 2014 while filming the movie “Midnight Rider” in Georgia, the law firm representing Jones’ family announced on Wednesday.
Csx Transportation, the defendants in the case, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Jones’ family. Jones was struck by a train while filming “Midnight Rider” five years ago atop a live railroad trestle, prompting extra scrutiny on the safety standards enforced on movie and TV sets. During the trial, attorneys for Jones’ family argued that Csx, which owned the train that struck Jones, did not alert its trains to the crew’s presence after two trains passed the crew before the collision.
In July 2017, a jury concluded that several parties, including Csx Transportation, were guilty of negligence on set, granting the plaintiffs an $11.2 million verdict. Director Randall Miller served a year in jail...
Csx Transportation, the defendants in the case, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Jones’ family. Jones was struck by a train while filming “Midnight Rider” five years ago atop a live railroad trestle, prompting extra scrutiny on the safety standards enforced on movie and TV sets. During the trial, attorneys for Jones’ family argued that Csx, which owned the train that struck Jones, did not alert its trains to the crew’s presence after two trains passed the crew before the collision.
In July 2017, a jury concluded that several parties, including Csx Transportation, were guilty of negligence on set, granting the plaintiffs an $11.2 million verdict. Director Randall Miller served a year in jail...
- 1/30/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
A confidential settlement has been reached in the wrongful death civil case against Csx Transportation brought by the family of young camera assistant Sarah Jones, who was killed on the train trestle set of Midnight Rider in 2014. The settlement was revealed today by the lawyers for the Jones family.
The lawyers said that “a satisfaction of judgment” was filed on January 25 in Savannah, Ga. The case arose from the death of Jones back in February 2014, when director Randall Miller and key supervisors on the film made the decision to place their crew on a live train track. According to court documents, the train conductor from Csx had radioed that he saw something on the track, however, the next train coming did not slow down and instead plowed through the set going more than 50 mph. All of these actions resulted in the death of Jones and the injury of several more people.
The lawyers said that “a satisfaction of judgment” was filed on January 25 in Savannah, Ga. The case arose from the death of Jones back in February 2014, when director Randall Miller and key supervisors on the film made the decision to place their crew on a live train track. According to court documents, the train conductor from Csx had radioed that he saw something on the track, however, the next train coming did not slow down and instead plowed through the set going more than 50 mph. All of these actions resulted in the death of Jones and the injury of several more people.
- 1/30/2019
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
The family of production assistant Sarah Jones has reached a confidential settlement with the transportation company they sued for wrongful death after she was killed in 2014 on the set of Midnight Rider.
Richard and Elizabeth Jones in May 2014 sued multiple parties connected to the film, including Csx Transportation, after Sarah was killed on set. A jury in July 2017 found Csx should pay the family $3.9 million, finding the 27-year-old's death was the result of negligence.
Jones was killed while trying to flee from an oncoming train that had entered a narrow bridge over the Altamaha River,...
Richard and Elizabeth Jones in May 2014 sued multiple parties connected to the film, including Csx Transportation, after Sarah was killed on set. A jury in July 2017 found Csx should pay the family $3.9 million, finding the 27-year-old's death was the result of negligence.
Jones was killed while trying to flee from an oncoming train that had entered a narrow bridge over the Altamaha River,...
- 1/30/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Midnight Rider’s first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, who in March 2015 was sentenced to 10 years probation for criminal trespass and felony involuntary manslaughter for her role in the death of 27 year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones, this morning asked a Georgia Judge to end her probation now. The Judge has not yet ruled on the motion (read it here).
Under terms of the original sentence she was given, Schwartz would not serve any prison time, but could not be a director or assistant director. She could, however, be a producer in a capacity other than overseeing the safety of others.
The motion states that Schwartz “has been employed outside of the film industry with no intention of returning to her prior career.” Like director Randall Miller before her who asked for his court-imposed three-year supervision to be removed, she is also seeking a lighter punishment. Schwartz’s Georgia lawyer Todd Brooks...
Under terms of the original sentence she was given, Schwartz would not serve any prison time, but could not be a director or assistant director. She could, however, be a producer in a capacity other than overseeing the safety of others.
The motion states that Schwartz “has been employed outside of the film industry with no intention of returning to her prior career.” Like director Randall Miller before her who asked for his court-imposed three-year supervision to be removed, she is also seeking a lighter punishment. Schwartz’s Georgia lawyer Todd Brooks...
- 12/19/2018
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
Csx’s petition for a new trial in the case of Midnight Rider and the death of Sarah Jones has been denied by Chatham County State Court Judge Gregory V. Sapp. Csx had filed a motion for a new trial after losing a civil case this past summer to the parents of 27-year-old crew member Sarah Jones, killed on a Ga train trestle in 2014 while filming the Greg Allman biopic Midnight Rider.
“The Court disagrees with Csx’s argument that there was no evidence Csx violated the applicable standard of care,” Judge Sapp wrote in his order. “To the extent the jury found that Csx engaged in willful or wanton conduct, there is some evidence to support this finding … and there was some evidence for the jury to find that Csx employees were negligent in failing to report the trespassers or take additional precautions to avoid injuring them.”
Evidence presented...
“The Court disagrees with Csx’s argument that there was no evidence Csx violated the applicable standard of care,” Judge Sapp wrote in his order. “To the extent the jury found that Csx engaged in willful or wanton conduct, there is some evidence to support this finding … and there was some evidence for the jury to find that Csx employees were negligent in failing to report the trespassers or take additional precautions to avoid injuring them.”
Evidence presented...
- 4/27/2018
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
Midnight Rider director Randall Miller, serving a sentence for involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 on-set death of 27-year-old crew member Sarah Jones, was denied having his supervision removed by the judge overseeing the case since its beginning. In his decision, dated today, Judge Anthony Harrison stated that to lift the supervision would be contrary to the intended sentence of the court. Miller’s attorneys argued that it prevented him from extensive travel and has…...
- 3/16/2018
- Deadline
Four years and one day after the death of Sarah Jones on a Doctortown train trestle, the parents of the late Midnight Rider camera assistant are back in a Jessup, Ga courtroom fighting against a motion filed in December by the attorneys of Randall Miller. The film’s director is asking that California supervision, part of his plea agreement at his 2015 criminal trespassing and involuntary manslaughter trial, be lifted. The argument is that California law differs from…...
- 2/21/2018
- Deadline
Exclusive: On what is the four-year mark of the death of their 27-year-old daughter Sarah Jones on a train track in Georgia for the film Midnight Rider, Richard and Elizabeth Jones are en route to a Jessup, Ga courthouse this morning, where tomorrow they will fight to keep in place the film’s director Randall Miller’s three-year supervision in California. Miller has petitioned the court to remove his supervision. While Miller will not be there, he received that probation…...
- 2/20/2018
- Deadline
Exclusive: On Feb. 20, it will be four years since Sarah Jones’ life was taken away on a train trestle in Georgia during the first day of shooting the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider. Several other crew members were injured, including hairstylist artist Joyce Gilliard whose arm was almost torn off as she narrowly escaped death on the train track. Gilliard has now committed herself to safety issues and just pulled together a PSA that, coincidentally, includes family…...
- 2/7/2018
- Deadline
Exclusive: On Feb. 20, it will be four years since Sarah Jones’ life was taken away on a train trestle in Georgia during the first day of shooting the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider. Several other crew members were injured, including hairstylist artist Joyce Gilliard whose arm was almost torn off as she narrowly escaped death on the train track. Gilliard has now committed herself to safety issues and just pulled together a PSA that, coincidentally, includes family…...
- 2/7/2018
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Filmmakers Eric Smith (Boston’s Finest) and Christopher Crescitelli (Experience Montreaux 3D) are putting together a feature-length documentary about Sarah Jones’ life, death and subsequent impact of safety in Hollywood. The 27-year-old camera assistant, died on a train trestle on February 20, 2014 when she was working on the film Midnight Rider. Her death spawned a movement across the country about set safety and launched a criminal investigation which…...
- 5/5/2015
- Deadline
A version of this story first appeared in the March 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. It was expected to take a week to try director Randall Miller, his producer (and Miller's wife) Jody Savin and producer Jay Sedrish for involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass connected with the death of camera assistant Sarah Jones, who was hit by a train a year ago on the set of their Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider. But the trial in rural Wayne County, Ga., never happened. On Monday morning Miller switched his plea to guilty in a deal with prosecutors, which included
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- 3/11/2015
- by Austin Siegemund-Broka
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The brief video recorded and shown above was taken in the chaotic seconds before a Csx train plowed through a set for the film Midnight Rider, killing crew member Sarah Jones. It was shown during today’s hearing on the plea bargain of first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, who agreed to 10 years of probation in exchange for her guilty plea. The crashing sound is of the train hitting the hospital gurney, sending shrapnel flying and contributing to Jones’ death. A…...
- 3/11/2015
- Deadline
The late Sarah Jones’ parents Richard and Elizabeth Jones emerged from court today saying that they were content with Midnight Rider director Randall Miller guilty plea. This morning they sat and watched Miller plead out as he sat sullenly next to his wife Jody Savin (the film’s producer) before being led out of court without handcuffs and immediately taken to the jail to be booked. Afterwards, Sarah’s father, Richard Jones, told reporters that he and his wife Elizabeth…...
- 3/9/2015
- Deadline
Director Randall Miller has changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in the ”Midnight Rider” trial Monday, according to media reports. Miller, producer Jody Savin, and executive producer Jay Sedrish are being charged with criminal trespass and involuntary manslaughter following the death of camera assistant Sarah Jones on the set a year ago. Jones, 27, was killed when a train hit her during a dream sequence scene on a bridge lying above the Altamaha River. More To Come…...
- 3/9/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Midnight Rider director Randall Miller will stand trial for the death of a young camera assistant on set.
Shooting had only just started when a freight train travelling at 55mph hit crew on a Georgia railroad bridge, injuring six and killing 27 year old Sarah Jones on February 20 2014.
According to Billboard, Miller will face a trial along with his business partner wife Jody Savin and the movie's executive producer Jay Sedrish and could be facing up to 11 years in a Georgia prison if a jury decides Jones' death was the result of a criminal act.
All three have pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing.
Railroad company Csx Transportation which owns the bridge where the crash occurred, has said it twice denied the filmmakers permission to shoot on its tracks in rural southeast Georgia.
Under state law, a person can be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for committing a misdemeanor i.
Shooting had only just started when a freight train travelling at 55mph hit crew on a Georgia railroad bridge, injuring six and killing 27 year old Sarah Jones on February 20 2014.
According to Billboard, Miller will face a trial along with his business partner wife Jody Savin and the movie's executive producer Jay Sedrish and could be facing up to 11 years in a Georgia prison if a jury decides Jones' death was the result of a criminal act.
All three have pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing.
Railroad company Csx Transportation which owns the bridge where the crash occurred, has said it twice denied the filmmakers permission to shoot on its tracks in rural southeast Georgia.
Under state law, a person can be convicted of involuntary manslaughter for committing a misdemeanor i.
- 3/7/2015
- Digital Spy
Exclusive: In a pretrial hearing this morning in a Georgia courtroom, Midnight Rider first assistant director Hillary Schwartz’s attorney successfully pried Schwartz out of next month’s trial of three other defendants. All are facing charges of criminal trespassing and manslaughter in the death of 27 year-old crew member Sarah Jones when a train plowed through the film’s set. Above, Deadline has exclusive video of the short hearing, part of decisions handed down today by…...
- 2/27/2015
- Deadline
Midnight Rider‘s first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, who was seeking to have the criminal trespass and manslaughter charges against her dismissed in the on-set death of Sarah Jones, will have to wait until a later date to find out if that will be possible; her pre-trial hearing on that motion was continued. However, her lawyer succeeded in having her case severed from that of her former colleagues who have also been charged, which means that she could be called as…...
- 2/26/2015
- Deadline
It’s been a year since 27 year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones was killed and several others injured on the set of Midnight Rider on a train trestle in Jesup, Ga on Feb. 20th. Wayne County has issued 250 jury summons for the March 9 criminal trespass and manslaughter trial for those charged: the film’s director, producer, executive producer/unit production manager and first assistant director. Several crew members will be called as witnesses, but Deadline has learned…...
- 2/19/2015
- Deadline
Exclusive: A still photographer injured on the set of Midnight Rider in the February 20 accident that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones has filed a negligence lawsuit against the film's director Randall Miller, producers and several others involved in the ill-fated production. Izabeau Giannakopoulos was shooting photos on the first day of filming in rural Wayne County, Ga and was one of six crew members injured when a freight train roared across a railroad trestle on…...
- 2/18/2015
- Deadline
Exclusive: Prosecutors in the Midnight Rider trial, set to begin March 9, are looking to become the first ever to convict filmmakers on manslaughter charges. In the 100 years between the death of Sarah Jones and the first film-related deaths — on July 1, 1914, when 16-year-old actress Grace McHugh drowned and cameraman Owen Carter died trying to rescue her while filming a scene for the movie Across The Border – more than 80 people have died in 52 fatal accidents while filming in the U.S. Only two resulted in indictments, none in convictions.
The last time a manslaughter case went before a jury was nearly 30 years ago, in the infamous Twilight Zone case, which ended in the acquittals of director John Landis and four co-defendants. “It was a very difficult case to prosecute,” Lea D’Agostino, the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the Twilight Zone case, later said. “You didn’t have people who went in maliciously to do something.
The last time a manslaughter case went before a jury was nearly 30 years ago, in the infamous Twilight Zone case, which ended in the acquittals of director John Landis and four co-defendants. “It was a very difficult case to prosecute,” Lea D’Agostino, the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the Twilight Zone case, later said. “You didn’t have people who went in maliciously to do something.
- 2/3/2015
- by David Robb
- Deadline
Filming on railroad tracks can be dangerous; it’s taken two lives in the past year alone. And despite all the news reports about the death of Sarah Jones on the Midnight Rider set and the recent death of Greg Plitt while filming a commercial in Burbank, many myths remain about shooting on railroad tracks.
According to Art Miller, an instructor for the Iatse Rail Safety Awareness training program and one of the industry’s leading experts on railroad safety, there are six common myths about filming on railroad tracks.
There are abandoned tracks throughout the country that are available to filmmakers without permission and for free. “Every track has an owner,” he says, “and working on any track without permission is criminal trespass.”
Sending two production assistants with walkie-talkies out to warn of approaching trains is an effective safety measure. “Only qualified railroad employees assigned to train-control duties can legally control rail traffic,...
According to Art Miller, an instructor for the Iatse Rail Safety Awareness training program and one of the industry’s leading experts on railroad safety, there are six common myths about filming on railroad tracks.
There are abandoned tracks throughout the country that are available to filmmakers without permission and for free. “Every track has an owner,” he says, “and working on any track without permission is criminal trespass.”
Sending two production assistants with walkie-talkies out to warn of approaching trains is an effective safety measure. “Only qualified railroad employees assigned to train-control duties can legally control rail traffic,...
- 1/23/2015
- by David Robb
- Deadline
Fitness model Greg Plitt killed in train accident: Plitt was the 'body' of Dr. Manhattan in 'Watchmen' movie Fitness model Greg Plitt, best known for adorning countless fitness magazine covers and for his participation on the reality TV show Work Out, was killed by a passenger train while being videotaped last Saturday afternoon, January 17, 2015, in Burbank, about 20 kilometers northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Authorities are now trying to figure out how Plitt and his two-person crew were able to access a restricted area – without a filming permit – and what exactly they were doing there. Online tabloids claim to have the answer, asserting that Greg Plitt's death was the result of a failed thrill-seeking stunt. The athletic Plitt, who had previously shot at least one workout video on a train track, was purportedly trying to outrun the passenger train, but tripped and fell on the tracks. Police have...
- 1/22/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
“Had proper channels been followed, this would not have happened,” Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten tells TheWrap
As Burbank police analyze surveillance footage recorded from the Metrolink train that struck and killed Bravo “Work Out” star Gregory Plitt Jr., a spokesman for the rail company is speaking out about the accident that claimed the actor’s life.
“While our hearts go out to his [Plitt’s] family, this was very, very preventable,” Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten told TheWrap Tuesday.
“Had the proper channels been followed, this would not have happened,” Lustgarten said as he explained that Plitt was not authorized to be on the train tracks.
As Burbank police analyze surveillance footage recorded from the Metrolink train that struck and killed Bravo “Work Out” star Gregory Plitt Jr., a spokesman for the rail company is speaking out about the accident that claimed the actor’s life.
“While our hearts go out to his [Plitt’s] family, this was very, very preventable,” Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten told TheWrap Tuesday.
“Had the proper channels been followed, this would not have happened,” Lustgarten said as he explained that Plitt was not authorized to be on the train tracks.
- 1/21/2015
- by Anita Bennett
- The Wrap
Like the Midnight Rider tragedy that took the life of Sarah Jones, Saturday's railroad-filming accident in Burbank that killed actor and fitness guru Greg Plitt involved an attempt to steal a shot without a film permit or permission from the railroad company. "We require film permits if you're outdoors, but there was no permit on file," a spokesman for the Burbank Police Department said. Plitt, whose website features several photos and videos of him working out on…...
- 1/19/2015
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline TV
Initial reports suggest Plitt was shooting video on the tracks with two friends when the collision occurred
George Gregory Plitt Jr., 37, an actor and fitness expert who was featured on the Bravo TV series “Work Out” and on the NBC daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives” was killed in Burbank after being struck by a Metrolink train, authorities said Sunday.
The train hit Plitt at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, near the Burbank Metrolink Station on Front Street, according to the Burbank Police Department. Plitt was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured.
Also Read: Sarah Jones...
George Gregory Plitt Jr., 37, an actor and fitness expert who was featured on the Bravo TV series “Work Out” and on the NBC daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives” was killed in Burbank after being struck by a Metrolink train, authorities said Sunday.
The train hit Plitt at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, near the Burbank Metrolink Station on Front Street, according to the Burbank Police Department. Plitt was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured.
Also Read: Sarah Jones...
- 1/18/2015
- by Anita Bennett
- The Wrap
A judge in Chatham County, Georgia today denied rail company Csx’s request to prohibit photographs and video evidence from further public dissemination in the wrongful death case of Midnight Rider crew member Sarah Jones. The November 12 motion was filed after an October 31 episode of ABC News’ 20/20 aired partial train footage filmed the afternoon of February 20, 2014 when Jones was struck and killed by a Csx train on the Doctortown trestle in rural Georgia.
That footage had been submitted to the court as evidence in the ongoing civil case brought by Jones’ parents against a number of defendants including Csx, director Randall Miller, producer Jody Savin, and others, most of whom have since been dismissed after reaching settlements with the Jones family.
Related: ‘Midnight Rider’ Crew Kept In Dark Over Safety, Federal Investigation Reveals
Those settlements left Csx as the biggest remaining defendant in an increasingly contentious legal skirmish with the Jones camp.
That footage had been submitted to the court as evidence in the ongoing civil case brought by Jones’ parents against a number of defendants including Csx, director Randall Miller, producer Jody Savin, and others, most of whom have since been dismissed after reaching settlements with the Jones family.
Related: ‘Midnight Rider’ Crew Kept In Dark Over Safety, Federal Investigation Reveals
Those settlements left Csx as the biggest remaining defendant in an increasingly contentious legal skirmish with the Jones camp.
- 1/6/2015
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Three-plus months after Sarah Jones was killed while filming Midnight Rider on location in rural Georgia, Ronnie Sands was nearly killed by a bolt of electricity on the set of Selma in Atlanta. A few weeks later, a set dresser fell through a roof while striking the set in Montgomery, Al. Several extras on the civil rights pic also suffered heat exhaustion while shooting the final rally scene in sweltering heat at the Alabama State Capitol.
A call to the film’s director, Ava DuVernay, was referred to a spokesperson for the production, who told Deadline: “We are all deeply affected by injuries that occur in the workplace. After all, these involve our friends and colleagues. Any such incidents are promptly notified to the production insurers and are then reviewed by the loss adjustors. This is the process on which we are currently embarked.”
Sands was injured on the afternoon...
A call to the film’s director, Ava DuVernay, was referred to a spokesperson for the production, who told Deadline: “We are all deeply affected by injuries that occur in the workplace. After all, these involve our friends and colleagues. Any such incidents are promptly notified to the production insurers and are then reviewed by the loss adjustors. This is the process on which we are currently embarked.”
Sands was injured on the afternoon...
- 12/30/2014
- by David Robb
- Deadline
Tragedy struck the set of the latest Jackie Chan movie, Skiptrace, as a boat containing several crew members capsized, and one crew member drowned. South China Morning Press confirms the deadly accident, revealing that 51-year-old cinematographer Chan Kwok-hung drowned in the waters off Lantau Island after the boat that carried multiple crew members capsized. The paper notes that "seven other crew members were able to swim back to shore" following the accident, but that Kwok-hung.s body was later discovered and he was pronounced dead. Jackie Chan was not on the boat, according to reports, though THR adds that the legendary actor was "onshore when the boat capsized and he reportedly jumped into the water to help rescue crew members." The on-set tragedy calls to mind the recent death of camera assistant Sarah Jones, who was hit by a train while working in the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider near...
- 12/18/2014
- cinemablend.com
The family of Sarah Jones is still on the hunt for missing train footage taken the afternoon the Midnight Rider camera assistant was killed, which could help to show rail company Csx did not act accordingly to prevent the locomotive tragedy from happening.
Video from an earlier train shows crew members standing near the active tracks before the February 20 accident in rural Georgia. Just 45 minutes later, a Csx train collided with a hospital bed they’d placed in its path, killing Jones and injuring several others. During a Friday emergency hearing requested by Csx to seal further evidence from going public in the family’s ongoing wrongful death lawsuit, the Joneses’ attorney Stephen G. Lowry pushed to have Csx produce or at the very least file in court the “missing tape” from one train he says was never looked for or inadvertently written over, and which may or may not...
Video from an earlier train shows crew members standing near the active tracks before the February 20 accident in rural Georgia. Just 45 minutes later, a Csx train collided with a hospital bed they’d placed in its path, killing Jones and injuring several others. During a Friday emergency hearing requested by Csx to seal further evidence from going public in the family’s ongoing wrongful death lawsuit, the Joneses’ attorney Stephen G. Lowry pushed to have Csx produce or at the very least file in court the “missing tape” from one train he says was never looked for or inadvertently written over, and which may or may not...
- 12/16/2014
- by Patty Leon, Special To Deadline
- Deadline
Will evidence in the ongoing Midnight Rider civil case be sealed after next week? An emergency hearing has been set for Friday morning in Georgia’s Chatham County court to address rail company Csx’s recent move to keep further photo and video evidence from going public. That request follows October’s major media reveal of footage from the February 20 train collision that killed 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones and injured several other crew members working on the Gregg Allman biopic.
The motion will be heard by Judge Gregory V. Sapp on Friday, December 12 at 10:00 Am.
A persistent point of contention between the two has involved the action taken by Csx representatives before, during, and after the accident, which occurred when a Csx train hit a hospital bed and equipment the film’s crew had placed across active tracks without permission. Csx provided camera footage from three of four...
The motion will be heard by Judge Gregory V. Sapp on Friday, December 12 at 10:00 Am.
A persistent point of contention between the two has involved the action taken by Csx representatives before, during, and after the accident, which occurred when a Csx train hit a hospital bed and equipment the film’s crew had placed across active tracks without permission. Csx provided camera footage from three of four...
- 12/5/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Rail company Csx has taken heat for failing to provide footage from a fourth train that traversed the Doctortown trestle the afternoon of the fatal accident that killed Midnight Rider camera assistant Sarah Jones. But in a court filing this week the company explained they aren’t hiding anything – because they don’t even have the so-called “missing tape.”
Deflecting another volley in the ongoing wrongful death civil case brought by Jones’ parents, Csx revealed the timeline of the three Csx trains that passed the site of the collision before a fourth locomotive struck equipment and a hospital bed the crew had set up on the tracks in rural Georgia. (Read the Csx response here.) Jones was killed and several others injured when train Q12519 hit, while others made narrow escapes off the train bridge with only seconds to spare.
According to Csx, a total of three trains – and not two,...
Deflecting another volley in the ongoing wrongful death civil case brought by Jones’ parents, Csx revealed the timeline of the three Csx trains that passed the site of the collision before a fourth locomotive struck equipment and a hospital bed the crew had set up on the tracks in rural Georgia. (Read the Csx response here.) Jones was killed and several others injured when train Q12519 hit, while others made narrow escapes off the train bridge with only seconds to spare.
According to Csx, a total of three trains – and not two,...
- 12/3/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
In a strongly worded brief filed Monday in Georgia state court, lawyers for the parents of Sarah Jones sought to maintain public access to videos and photographs of the train accident that killed their daughter during production of the film Midnight Rider in February, and to preserve the right of the lawyers and parties in the case to speak to the media. The filing, which came in response to a motion filed Nov. 12 by the railroad, Csx, primarily concerns so-called train cam video shot by automatic cameras on the locomotive that caused Jones’ death. That video was broadcast
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- 12/1/2014
- by Jonathan Handel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Court records in the ongoing wrongful death case of Sarah Jones should remain unsealed, the family of the Midnight Rider camera assistant argued today, calling rail company Csx’s attempt to stop further details from escaping into the media “groundless,” “frivolous,” “desperate” and “malicious.”
The back-and-forth between lawyers for the railroad company and the grieving Joneses has become increasingly accusatory in recent months. After Midnight Rider‘s director, producers and several other co-defendants reached a settlement with the family last month, Csx has remained the biggest — and most contentious — party still in the hot seat over Jones’ February 20 death during filming on a train trestle in rural Georgia.
In a strongly worded November 12 motion, defendant Csx asked a Chatham County judge to seal case findings and silence the Joneses’ lawyers from talking to the press about the civil case. Csx also accused the Jones legal team of leaking train-camera footage...
The back-and-forth between lawyers for the railroad company and the grieving Joneses has become increasingly accusatory in recent months. After Midnight Rider‘s director, producers and several other co-defendants reached a settlement with the family last month, Csx has remained the biggest — and most contentious — party still in the hot seat over Jones’ February 20 death during filming on a train trestle in rural Georgia.
In a strongly worded November 12 motion, defendant Csx asked a Chatham County judge to seal case findings and silence the Joneses’ lawyers from talking to the press about the civil case. Csx also accused the Jones legal team of leaking train-camera footage...
- 12/1/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Despite settling with the family of camera assistant Sarah Jones last week, Midnight Rider’s director and producer are still trying to escape the sights of rail company Csx. Randall Miller and Jody Savin today asked a Georgia court to dismiss them and their business entities from a cross-claim by Csx, whose remaining involvement in the ongoing civil suit filed by Jones’ family has kept the filmmakers tethered to the wrongful death case.
Csx accused Miller, Savin, Unclaimed Freight Productions, and Film Allman, LLC in September of intentional trespassing leading up to the February 20 death of 27-year-old camera assistant Jones. Jones died and several others were injured when a freight train collided into a hospital bed and equipment that the Midnight Rider crew had placed on Csx-owned tracks.
Now that Miller and Savin have settled with Jones’ parents, they’re arguing that their lingering battle with Csx is “essentially a...
Csx accused Miller, Savin, Unclaimed Freight Productions, and Film Allman, LLC in September of intentional trespassing leading up to the February 20 death of 27-year-old camera assistant Jones. Jones died and several others were injured when a freight train collided into a hospital bed and equipment that the Midnight Rider crew had placed on Csx-owned tracks.
Now that Miller and Savin have settled with Jones’ parents, they’re arguing that their lingering battle with Csx is “essentially a...
- 11/26/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
The lawyer for the family of Sarah Jones said today that it has reached an agreement with Midnight Rider director Randall Miller, his wife and producer Jody Savin, and several crewmembers in the wrongful death civil lawsuit filed after their daughter was killed during production in February on a train trestle in rural Georgia.
Attorney Jeff Harris said the confidential agreement had been reached with Miller, Savin, their Unclaimed Freight production company, location manager Charles Baxter, unit production manager/executive producer Jay Sedrish and Jay Sedrish Inc, executive producer and financier Don Mandrick, first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, director of photography Mike Ozier, Epozier Films Inc and landowner Rayonier Performance Fibers Llc.
“Richard and Elizabeth Jones’ objectives in filing this lawsuit, after the death of their 27-year-old daughter, Sarah, have been clear and unwavering,” said Harris. “To find out what happened on the day of their daughter’s death, determine who was responsible,...
Attorney Jeff Harris said the confidential agreement had been reached with Miller, Savin, their Unclaimed Freight production company, location manager Charles Baxter, unit production manager/executive producer Jay Sedrish and Jay Sedrish Inc, executive producer and financier Don Mandrick, first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, director of photography Mike Ozier, Epozier Films Inc and landowner Rayonier Performance Fibers Llc.
“Richard and Elizabeth Jones’ objectives in filing this lawsuit, after the death of their 27-year-old daughter, Sarah, have been clear and unwavering,” said Harris. “To find out what happened on the day of their daughter’s death, determine who was responsible,...
- 11/19/2014
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline
The parents of Sarah Jones, the camera assistant who was struck and killed by a train on the Midnight Rider film set, have reached a confidential settlement agreement with several of the defendants in their civil lawsuit, family attorney Jeff Harris announced Wednesday. In May, Jones' parents filed a wrongful death suit against several individuals and organizations affiliated with the Gregg Allman biopic, including the producers and director Randall Miller. Read more A Train, a Narrow Trestle and 60 Seconds to Escape: How 'Midnight Rider' Victim Sarah Jones Lost Her Life A settlement has been reached with Miller; producer Jody
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- 11/19/2014
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated With ABC News Statement: Two weeks after shocking footage from the train that killed Midnight Rider camera assistant Sarah Jones was revealed on the Oct. 31 episode of ABC’s 20/20, railroad company Csx is hitting back against the Jones family lawyers. In a motion filed this week in the ongoing wrongful death case against Csx and over a dozen other defendants (read it here), Csx accused Jones’ lawyers of slipping the train footage to ABC News and asked a Georgia court to block any further evidence from going public pre-trial.
The 20/20 episode aired footage from a camera on the train that was heading from Savannah to Manchester, Georgia on the afternoon of February 20. The segment revealed that the locomotive needed a mile to stop, and began sounding its whistle 26 seconds before impact. Stars William Hurt and Wyatt Russell can be seen attempting to get to safety along with other crew...
The 20/20 episode aired footage from a camera on the train that was heading from Savannah to Manchester, Georgia on the afternoon of February 20. The segment revealed that the locomotive needed a mile to stop, and began sounding its whistle 26 seconds before impact. Stars William Hurt and Wyatt Russell can be seen attempting to get to safety along with other crew...
- 11/13/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Gregg Allman and his manager Michael Lehman have been dismissed from the various lawsuits brought against the production team of the upcoming biopic, Midnight Rider, after a train accident injured several and killed crew member Sarah Jones. While all plaintiffs voluntarily dropped their claims against Allman and Lehman, other parties remain implicated in the lawsuit.
"Gregg and I are pleased that the claims against us have been dismissed," Lehman said in a statement. "But it’s still with a heavy heart. We continue to have great empathy for the pain...
"Gregg and I are pleased that the claims against us have been dismissed," Lehman said in a statement. "But it’s still with a heavy heart. We continue to have great empathy for the pain...
- 11/4/2014
- Rollingstone.com
ABC News and “20/20” released new video on Friday from the Csx locomotive train that ran through the set of the film “Midnight Rider,” killing camera assistant Sarah Jones. The footage from the final moments before Jones’ death shows crewmembers trying to run off the tracks as the train speeds towards them. Stars of the Gregg Allman biopic, William Hurt and Wyatt Russell, can also be seen narrowly escaping being struck. Also read: ‘Midnight Rider’ Director, Producer Surrender to Georgia Police “20/20” slowed down the video to point out a hospital bed that wasn't moved off the train tracks in time before the.
- 11/1/2014
- by Ryan O'Connell
- The Wrap
In a 30-minute report at the top of Friday night's 20/20, ABC News aired video of the final moments before Midnight Rider camera assistant Sarah Jones was struck and killed by a train on the set of the Gregg Allman biopic last February. Taken from a camera mounted inside the Csx locomotive that was speeding down the track and Jones and other crew members tried to escape, the video released today shows Midnight Rider crew members and stars William Hurt and Wyatt Russell running away from the tracks, with crew members and the bed that had been placed on
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- 11/1/2014
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Never-before-seen photos show the last known images of Midnight Rider camera assistant Sarah Jones on the Georgia set where she lost her life in February. In one, Jones (in green) is seen slating a shot with actor William Hurt lying in the hospital bed that later was laid across train tracks and struck, leaving Jones dead and several others injured. Another shows the crew with equipment on the south end of the Doctortown train trestle moments after a train has passed. Jones also is seen walking along train tracks with Hurt and actor Wyatt Russell, who were set to play Gregg and Duane Allman, respectively. The photos were obtained by ABC News, which is dedicating tonight’s episode of 20/20 to the Midnight Rider tragedy, new details of which came to light this week in a Deadline exclusive report detailing the discoveries of Osha’s federal investigation. The episode airs 10 tonight.
- 10/31/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
The family of “Midnight Rider” camera assistant Sarah Jones, who was killed during filming, has dismissed Gregg Allman, executive producer Michael Lehman and Open Road Films as defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit. “The legal process is working and questions are being answered,” said Jones’ father, Richard Jones, in a statement Thursday. “During a very difficult and trying time for our family, Gregg Allman and Michael Lehman demonstrated their genuine sorrow over the loss of our daughter and their willingness to work with us in the future to ensure safe film sets for all. For that, we are grateful.” Also read: Crew.
- 10/30/2014
- by Mike Fleeman
- The Wrap
The family of Sarah Jones said today that it has reached an agreement with Midnight Rider distributor Open Road Films and producers Gregg Allman and Michael Lehman to be dropped from their civil lawsuit over the death of the camera assistant on the set of the Allman biopic.
The news comes after lawyers for Open Road told a Georgia judge on Tuesday during a motions hearing that it was close to an agreement with Jones’ family. The hearing was continued to November 13.
“This [suit] is about the production and Open Road is a distributor — we only deal with things once the film is made, there is no reason for us to be here,” Open Road lawyer Marvin Putnam said following Tuesday’s hearing in Savannah. “And I think that is what the recordings and the papers will reflect.”
Said Jones family attorney Jeff Harris today in a release: “This firm was...
The news comes after lawyers for Open Road told a Georgia judge on Tuesday during a motions hearing that it was close to an agreement with Jones’ family. The hearing was continued to November 13.
“This [suit] is about the production and Open Road is a distributor — we only deal with things once the film is made, there is no reason for us to be here,” Open Road lawyer Marvin Putnam said following Tuesday’s hearing in Savannah. “And I think that is what the recordings and the papers will reflect.”
Said Jones family attorney Jeff Harris today in a release: “This firm was...
- 10/30/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
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