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Sarah Jones' death: 1st AD on 'Midnight Rider' faces criminal charges
In this file photo, parents Richard and Elizabeth Jones attend a memorial for their daughter Sarah Jones, an assistant camerawoman who was killed by a train while shooting the Gregg Allman biopic film, Midnight Rider, on March 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
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The first assistant director of the now shuttered production of "Midnight Rider" has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass over the death of camera operator Sarah Jones, according to Deadline Hollywood.
Jones was killed on Feb. 20 when a train traveling at 55 mph crashed into the crew working on the Gregg Allman biopic and a bed that had been placed on the tracks as a movie prop, according to authorities.
Hillary Schwartz was charged Sept. 10, and conviction on both counts could carry a combined sentence of up to 11 years in prison, Deadline Hollywood reports:
This will come as no surprise to Hollywood’s production community, who understand that one responsibility of the 1st AD is to help keep the crew safe on set. Schwartz was on set the day of the accident, though location manager Charley Baxter refused to show up because the production had not obtained permission to access the train tracks and made his opposition known to several crew members before the shoot.
The family of Jones has sued the film's distributor, Open Road, according to Deadline Hollywood, and there are a number of other lawsuits related to the incident.
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