“Midnight Rider” director Randall Miller reached a plea deal on Monday that will avoid trial and absolve his wife and business partner, Jody Savin, in the filming set train wreck that killed crew member Sarah Jones in Wayne County last year.
The Associated Press reported that Miller pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing and will serve two years in custody followed by eight on probation. He also must pay a $20,000 fine. Executive producer Jay Sedrish also entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to a decade on probation.
Charges are still pending against assistant director Hillary Schwartz, the AP reported.
Jones, a South Carolina native who had been living in Atlanta, was 27 when she died in February 2014. The movie, about rocker Gregg Allman, had set up to film on a train trestle in the Jesup area when a train came roaring through. Filmmakers did not have permission to be on the tracks, and Jones was struck and killed when the train unexpectedly arrived.
Jones’ untimely death spurred an industrywide call for change. A grass-roots “Slates for Sarah” campaign honored her by placing her name on movie and television production slates on projects including the locally shot television series “The Vampire Diaries” and the movie “A Walk in the Woods,” in addition to big and small screen productions nationwide.
Jones also was recognized as part of the “In Memoriam” segment of the 2014 Academy Awards.
In November, Jones’ parents settled a wrongful-death civil suit against a number of people and entities involved with the production, including Miller, Savin and Sedrish. Allman had initially been named but was dropped from the civil suit.
After Monday’s plea deal announcement, her father, Richard Jones, addressed reporters outside the Wayne County Courthouse.
“We hope the sacrifice of our daughter’s life will continue to change the film industry,” he said. “I believe it sends a message, frankly, that if you do not respect those you’re in charge of, you may end up behind bars.”
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