A frightening accident on the set of Eddie Murphy’s upcoming film, The Pickup, has left eight people hospitalized after a stunt went wrong in Atlanta, Georgia.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, forced a pause in the production, which also stars Keke Palmer.
According to TMZ, which obtained harrowing footage of the crash, an armored vehicle collided with a car driving alongside it during filming. The impact caused both vehicles to leave the road and flip over multiple times.
The Georgia State Patrol confirmed to People that eight people were taken to hospitals following the crash.
Two crew members seated in the back of the armored car sustained life-threatening injuries after being ejected when the back doors opened. A third passenger in the back area also suffered serious injuries, though they were not ejected.
Five people were transported to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, while three others were taken to WellStar Cobb Medical Center in Austell, Georgia, for treatment.
As of Friday, one person remains hospitalized with a back injury, according to The New York Times.
An Amazon spokesperson stated that the accident occurred during a “second unit action sequence” that had been previously rehearsed. “Unfortunately, the sequence did not go as planned, and several members of the crew were injured as a result,” the spokesperson said. “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 spokesperson emphasized that the well-being of the entire crew and cast is their top priority and that they will continue to insist on the highest industry standards of safety while filming. All safety precautions were reviewed before and monitored during the shoot.
An anonymous source described the incident as a “completely freak accident,” according to earlier reports from The Associated Press, which suggested that a truck “locked up” and collided with another vehicle.
The crew union IATSE has also released a statement, saying, “IATSE is aware of an accident that took place on the Georgia set of The Pickup and has started an inquiry.”
The Pickup, a heist comedy also starring Eva Longoria and Pete Davidson, does not currently have a release date. Tim Story, known for his work on Taxi and Barbershop, is the film’s director.
Credit: DailyMail.com