Several crew members were injured and two were hospitalised when a car and truck collided during shooting of the Eddie Murphy film The Pickup in Atlanta, Georgia.
Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement that the scene that led to Saturday’s accident in Georgia had been rehearsed and all safety precautions were taken. Neither Murphy nor the film’s other stars, including Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson, were on the set at the time.
The scene was being shot by a second unit on the production, which generally shoots less central scenes not involving the director or principal actors. The studio’s statement said: “Unfortunately, the sequence did not go as planned and several members of the crew were injured as a result. We are still in the process of gathering facts on what happened and why, but first and foremost our thoughts are with those who are recovering.
“The wellbeing of the entire crew and cast is our first priority, and we will continue to insist on the highest industry standards of safety while filming. All safety precautions were reviewed prior to and monitored during the shoot.”
The studio did not give details on the injuries or the roles of the crew members who were hurt.
According to a person close to the production, the injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken bones. Two crew members were taken to the hospital, and one remained in hospital on Tuesday. All are expected to make a full recovery. Speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly, the same source said that the accident happened on a location outside Atlanta when a truck locked up and hit a car.
“It was a completely freak accident. It wasn’t even a complicated or dangerous stunt.”
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the union representing most film crew members in the US, told the AP that they have begun an inquiry, but could not yet provide further details.
The Pickup is directed by Tim Story, whose credits include 2002’s Barbershop and 2005’s Fantastic Four. It has been shooting in and around Atlanta since February. It does not yet have a release date, but the production is not expected to be delayed by the accident.
Source: theguardian.com
