After Set Injuries On An Eddie Murphy Movie, Investigation Doesn’t Find Safety Violations

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has concluded an investigation into the accident on the set of the Eddie Murphy-starring film The Pickup and determined that the production did not violate safety regulations.

The agency initiated an investigation following a major two-vehicle crash on the set of the Amazon MGM Studios film in April that injured several crew members. On Wednesday, an OSHA spokesperson said that a “thorough investigation” of Armored Films LLC and an inspection that concluded on Oct. 17 “did not result in violations of workplace safety and health regulations.”

Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment. THR has reached out to the crew union IATSE for comment.

The April 20 crash took place when an armored GMC C6 truck attempted to perform a precision immobilization technique on a BMW X5 during a stunt sequence, the Georgia State Police stated in April. But the truck’s brush guard got caught on the BMW’s wheel well, causing both cars to lose control and eventually flip. Five crew members were riding in the back of the armored truck with belt restraints, while in the front a driver and passenger were present, wearing restraints, while the BMW held one driver wearing a restraint.

When the crash occurred, two crew members in the truck were thrown out of the back doors of the vehicle and received “life-threatening” injuries, while another crew member inside the truck was also seriously injured. Five people involved were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and three were taken to WellStar Cobb Medical Center, according to the police.

One GoFundMe set up for a crew member injured in the accident claimed that a dolly grip received “extensive bodily injuries” including “broken ribs, multiple fractures in his neck and back, a shattered scapula, punctured lung, and a skull fracture which will require facial reconstructive surgery.” Another GoFundMe for a separate crew member said the worker sustained “multiple fractures to his L1 vertebra, a broken wrist that requires surgery, and a significant head laceration.”

In April, Amazon MGM Studios stated that safety precautions were taken during the shoot, which was a second unit action sequence that had been rehearsed. “Unfortunately, the sequence did not go as planned and several members of the crew were injured as a result,” a spokesperson said.

Video of the accident circulated in crew circles after the incident and was later published by The New York Times, showing the severity of the crash.

The accident was one of several this year that brought renewed attention to workplace safety and long hours on Hollywood sets. In February, Wonder Man rigger J.C. “Spike” Osorio died after falling from a catwalk that had collapsed beneath him. Disney was fined $36,000 by Cal/OSHA after an investigation, while Radford Studio Center, where the accident occurred, was fined $45,000. In May, 9-1-1 grip Rico Priem died while leaving an overnight work shift and his second 14-hour workday in a row. Records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office released in June showed that Priem died of a heart attack and not in a car crash.