A settlement has been reached in the wrongful death case involving camera assistant Sarah Jones, who was killed in 2014 while filming the movie “Midnight Rider” in Georgia, the law firm representing Jones’ family announced on Wednesday.
CSX Transportation, the defendants in the case, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Jones’ family. Jones was struck by a train while filming “Midnight Rider” five years ago atop a live railroad trestle, prompting extra scrutiny on the safety standards enforced on movie and TV sets. During the trial, attorneys for Jones’ family argued that CSX, which owned the train that struck Jones, did not alert its trains to the crew’s presence after two trains passed the crew before the collision.
In July 2017, a jury concluded that several parties, including CSX Transportation, were guilty of negligence on set, granting the plaintiffs an $11.2 million verdict. Director Randall Miller served a year in jail after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing.
“This has been a long journey, and we’re deeply grateful for the support we’ve received from family, friends and members of the film community,” said the victim’s father, Richard Jones, in a statement. “We’re relieved that the lawsuit has concluded.”
CSX Transportation declined to comment on the settlement.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.