On February 20, 2014, about 4:30 p.m. eastern standard time, a crew of at least 12 people
was filming a movie scene on a railroad bridge near Jesup, Georgia, when northbound
CSX Transportation (CSX) freight train Q12519 approached. As the train passed the film crew’s
location on the bridge, it struck a prop—a metal-framed bed. Debris from the prop struck some
crewmembers on the bridge walkway. One film crewmember was killed, and six others with
injuries were transported to local hospitals. The accident occurred in the CSX Nahunta
Subdivision at milepost A543.7 on the railroad bridge across the Altamaha River.
At the time of the accident, the train was operating on a single main track, with
2 locomotives and 37 freight cars. The train was traveling about 56 mph, in a region of track
having a maximum authorized speed of 70 mph. The sky was clear, and the temperature was
80°F.
We determined that the probable cause of the accident was the film crew’s unauthorized entry onto the CSX Transportation right-of-way at the Altamaha River bridge with personnel and equipment, despite CSX Transportation’s repeated denial of permission to access the railroad property. Contributing to the accident was the adjacent property owner’s actions to facilitate the film crew’s access to the right-of-way and bridge
As a result of this investigation, we made a recommendation to: the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts; Location Managers Guild of America; The International Cinematographers Guild Camera Local 600; Producers Guild of America; Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio; Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers; Directors Guild of America; Writers Guild of America; Teamsters Local 399; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 40; Studio Utility Employees, Local 724, and Operation Lifesaver.
