Selma the most dangerous movie set in history? Crew member nearly killed after working on the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic.
The death of camera assistant, Sarah Jones, left a black mark on the face of the billion dollar film industry. Jones was killed while filming Midnight Rider in rural Georgia. Her death brought attention to the sometimes lack of safety and danger crew members, actors and extras put them selves in everyday to entertain millions of people.
Read more: ‘Midnight Rider’ was Denied a Railroad Permit for Filming on the Train Tracks
Three months after Sarah Jones death, Ronnie Sands was nearly killed by a bolt of electricity on set of Selma in Atlanta, Georgia. A few weeks later, a set dresser fell through a roof while preparing the set in Montgomery, Alabama. In addition, several extras in the movie collapsed while shooting the final rally scene at the State Capitol.
From Deadline:
Sands recalled, “They were yelling at us on the walkie-talkie, ‘How long is it going to take to get that bulb in there?’” He said he then noticed another crew member plugging the ballast into the generator. “Don’t do that while I’m still putting in the bulb and my head and hand are still inside the fixture,” Sands yelled down at him. “The breaker is off the ballast,” the guy yelled back. “Don’t be a pussy.” Sands said he then yelled at a fellow electrician to unplug the light. But it was too late. That’s when an arc of electricity flashed from the fixture and struck him in the face as 18,000 watts jolted into his right hand; ran up his arm and into his heart, neck and head; and threw him backward to the ground below.
“I am very lucky to be alive,” Sands said.
Since the accident, Sands says he still suffers from aftereffects. His neurologist told reports that he has “difficulty with cognition, memory and thinking, over and beyond the electrical pain in right arm.”
Read more: Oprah Winfrey’s “Selma” Now Filming in Atlanta
If you are ever on set and you don’t feel safe, download the Sarah Jones ‘Set Safety APP‘ it may just save your life.
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