Nearly five months after Sarah Jones’ death on a “Midnight Rider” filming site near Jesup, several officials associated with the movie project have been indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass and could face prison terms of a decade or more.
The movie, about musician Gregg Allman, was setting up for a shot on a train trestle when a train came through, killing Jones and injuring several of her colleagues. Jones’ parents filed suit, criticizing how Jones and her colleagues wound up on that trestle. However, official statements from entities associated with the movie project have focused on condolences rather than what happened.
A criminal investigation followed Jones’ Feb. 20 death. Randall Miller, Jody Savin and Jay Sedrish were indicted after the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office presented the case to the grand jury on Wednesday, Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie L. Johnson said in a statement on Thursday. Miller and Savin are the owners of California-based Unclaimed Freight Productions, which was filming “Midnight Rider,” and Sedrish was the film’s executive producer, according to the statement.
Involuntary manslaughter carries a potential sentence of 10 years in prison and criminal trespass carries a potential of 12 months, the district attorney’s statement noted.
Jones, 27, a beloved member of Atlanta’s filming community, had worked on locally shot projects including “Drop Dead Diva,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Vampire Diaries.” She was working as a second camera assistant as part of a Savannah-based crew for “Midnight Rider” when she died.
“In light of the tragic loss, we have decided to put the production of ‘Midnight Rider’ on hold,” a Miller representative said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter soon after the incident.
Jones’ parents, Richard and Elizabeth Jones, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming a slew of individuals and entities associated with “Midnight Rider,” including the three who have been indicted.
“Elizabeth and I are comfortable that the authorities were both careful and meticulous in investigating and bringing charges related to the incident that took our daughter’s life,” Richard Jones said in a statement Thursday regarding the indictments. “We must allow the criminal justice process to proceed unhindered. Our mission remains the same: to ensure safety on all film sets. Safety for Sarah.”
Donnie Dixon, an attorney for Miller and Savin, didn’t have a comment by press time on Thursday.
“At this point, we have just learned about this,” he said.
Sedrish could not be immediately reached for comment. He, Miller and Savin all live in California, according to court documents.
The Joneses’ lawsuit, filed in May in Chatham County, said that the activity on the train trestle took place without proper permission.
“Despite the fact that they planned to film a scene on active railroad tracks, and despite their knowledge of the danger presented by filming a scene on active railroad tracks, none of the ‘Midnight Rider’ defendants or their agents, representatives, contractors or employees obtained the proper permission or approval from CSX to conduct filming on the trestle bridge,” it said. “While the ‘Midnight Rider’ defendants knew that they did not have permission or approval from CSX to film on the railroad tracks, they concealed this fact from the rest of the ‘Midnight Rider’ cast and crew, including Sarah.”
The suit further claimed that “… ‘Midnight Rider’ defendants falsely informed, or gave the impression to the cast and crew, including Sarah, that they had received permission to conduct filming on the railroad tracks. As a result, Sarah and other members of the cast and crew believed that they had permission to be on the railroad tracks on Feb. 20.”
Following her death, Jones’ fellow filming community professionals remembered a dedicated young woman passionate about her craft. The “Slates for Sarah” Facebook page sprung up in her honor, and signs in her memory have been spotted around town and at various filming locations.
At the end of May, “Drop Dead Diva” executive producer Robert J. Wilson organized a benefit concert featuring Collective Soul that aided a number of charities, including a scholarship fund named for Jones.
“We all as a film community have felt the tragedy,” Wilson said at the time. “Something like that should never happen. We’re all working to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
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