Georgia state officials recently released the autopsy of Sarah Jones, the camera assistant for the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider who was killed last year while working on the movie. Jones was struck by a train while the crew was filming a dream sequence for the film in Wayne County. A judge sentenced the film's director, Randall Miller, Monday after he entered a plea of "guilty" for involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass charges for not obtaining the proper clearances to shoot near the tracks.
WARNING: THE DETAILS BELOW ARE GRAPHIC.
Jones suffered multiple injuries after a train hit the right side of her body, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The official explanation stated that Jones "died of multiple injuries sustained as a pedestrian struck by a railroad train while at work on a movie location." The details that followed weren't so general.
The camera assistant's skull was split open from a 12-inch wound that reached from the back of her skull to her upper lip. Jones' brain was not intact when medical personnel found her body — it was taken to the examination room in a plastic bag.
The train also managed to amputate the film worker's feet. Her spine was dislocated in several spots and she suffered multiple fractures. Jones died instantly.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation had to wait to release the autopsy report until after the criminal proceedings were finalized.
Miller changed his plea to "guilty" on Monday for a reduced sentence of two years in prison, eight years probation, 360 hours of community service, and a $20,000 fine. His plea also saved his wife and the film's producer, Jody Savin, from facing any prison time. Producer Jay Sedrish received 10 years probation and a $10,000 fine while first assistant director Hillary Schwartz also received 10 years probation with a $5,000 fine.
Video from the unfortunate incident can be seen below. It shows the film crew scrambling to get out of the way of the train before impact.
