Status UpdateBy Harrison M PalmerTrain Tragedy Update. Following up on the MIDNIGHT RIDER incident: There was not a full 'tech scout' prior to the “dream sequence” being shot on the train trestle. It was a pre pro/prep/camera test day & NOT a 'production shooting day', so it was minimal crew. There was no set medic or railroad safety officer on site. (that would be the typical protocol for a motion picture film shoot, but this wasn't really a typical principal photography day with the entire company.) There was a major Hollywood actor present, in costume, to be photographed while on a hospital gurney. The gurney was positioned on top of the trestle tracks, between the camera & crew, and their closest escape route -- a 3 foot wide plank walkway at one end of the trestle. The train’s engineer, upon seeing people and obstruction on the track, immediately hit emergency shut down, which is protocol. It was a fast moving high payload train, and it took about a half mile to stop. The collision could have been far worse had the train derailed.The final circumstances, and the timeline of the 'event', are still being examined. Matters of location contracts, film permits, and who knew what and when, are as yet undetermined. Most of the crew members, certainly those I have spoken with personally, will not be returning, should Production really try to start back up. Those persons hospitalized will recover physically, but the emotional wounds-- for everyone involved-- will take a long time to heal. I’ve heard other things, unconfirmed, and like all of you, continue to speculate about what will happen next...but at this point, we need to await the findings of the agencies in charge of the investigation. The best way we can honor Sarah's memory, is for all of us to ensure this never happens again.
- I've seen the opinions of other 1st AD's here, and all the advice is spot on. There's still too many missing details here before I can really say anything, but if it was really the nebulous "Prep/Camera Prep/ Production." day with 1/2 crew, I already don't have a great opinion of how it was structured.
