(WXIA) -- Three film studio executives will appear before a Georgia judge Monday to face charges in the death of a camera assistant from Atlanta.
Sarah Jones, 27, was killed by a train in southeast Georgia last February. She was working on the set of Midnight Rider, a Gregg Allman biopic, which was filming on a train bridge over the Altamaha River in Jesup. OSHA investigators said she died after the train slammed into a bed that had been placed on the tracks for a movie scene; the impact caused Jones to be pulled toward the train.
Midnight Rider director Randall Miller, his wife and business partner Jody Savin, and executive producer Jay Sedrish have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jones' death.
The three also face trespassing charges. CSX twice denied the crew permission to film on the train tracks.
If convicted, the filmmakers could each spend up to 11 years in prison.
Jones' parents originally sued Gregg Allman, Midnight Rider distributor Open Road Films, and executive producer Michael Lehman, among others, in their daughter's death. Allman, Lehman and the company were eventually dropped from the civil lawsuit. Richard Jones, Sarah's father, said Allman "demonstrated ... genuine sorrow over the loss of our daughter and ... willingness to work with us in the future to ensure safe film sets for all."
Last November, the Jones family reached a settlement in the civil suit.
