Sarah Jones was a 27-year-old second camera assistant killed on February 20, 2014, when a CSX freight train struck the film crew of the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider on a railroad trestle in Wayne County, Georgia. The production had been denied permission to shoot on the tracks and went ahead anyway. Her death led to criminal convictions of the director and two other crew leaders, multimillion-dollar civil payouts, federal safety citations, and a set of industry reforms that now carry her name.
What Happened on the Trestle
A crew of roughly 20 people set up on an active CSX Transportation bridge over the Altamaha River, near Doctortown, Georgia, to film a dream sequence. The scene called for a metal hospital bed to be placed on the tracks with actor William Hurt lying in it.1The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Accident: Sarah Jones Death, Gregg Allman
When a freight train appeared, the crew scrambled off the narrow trestle. There wasn’t enough time. The locomotive struck the bed, sending metal debris into the crew. Jones was hit and thrown into the path of the train. She died at the scene.2ABC News. Midnight Rider Filmmakers Edited Footage of Horrific Train Accident Seven other crew members were injured, including hairstylist Joyce Gilliard, who suffered a compound arm fracture.1The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Accident: Sarah Jones Death, Gregg Allman
The Crew Had Been Denied Access
Unclaimed Freight Productions, operating through Film Allman LLC, had no authorization to be on the tracks. CSX refused the production’s written requests to film on its right-of-way at least twice, including once on the morning of the shoot. An email from CSX employee Carla Groleau to location manager Charlie Baxter confirmed the denial, citing a company policy against filming on railroad infrastructure.3NTSB. Railroad Accident Brief NTSB/RAB-15-014Variety. Midnight Rider Fatality: Sheriff Report Says CSX Denied Permission for Shooting
The crew reached the area through adjacent landowner Rayonier Inc., which had granted permission to use its private grounds around the trestle. Rayonier had no authority over the tracks themselves.5Deadline. Sarah Jones Death: Midnight Rider Accident, Randall Miller Safety After the crash, when a CSX employee asked executive producer Jay Sedrish whether the crew had permission to be on the tracks, Sedrish answered, “That’s complicated.”4Variety. Midnight Rider Fatality: Sheriff Report Says CSX Denied Permission for Shooting
Who Was Convicted and What They Got
A Wayne County grand jury indicted four people connected to the production on involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass: director Randall Miller, producer Jody Savin, executive producer Jay Sedrish, and first assistant director Hillary Schwartz.6The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Director Randall Miller
On March 9, 2015, Miller pleaded guilty to both charges. He was sentenced to two years in the Wayne County Detention Center (with an expected served term of about one year), eight years of probation, a $20,000 fine, and 360 hours of community service. The court barred him for ten years from working as a director, assistant director, or in any role responsible for the safety of film-set employees.7Los Angeles Times. Midnight Rider Director Randall Miller Pleads Guilty As part of the plea, charges against his wife and business partner Jody Savin were dismissed.8The Guardian. Midnight Rider Director Randall Miller Jailed for On-Set Death
Sedrish entered an Alford plea to the same two charges and received ten years of probation, a $10,000 fine, and a bar on working as a director, first or second assistant director, or crew supervisor on any film production.9The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider: Did the Punishment Fit
Schwartz pleaded not guilty and chose a bench trial. On March 10, 2015, Judge Anthony Harrison found her guilty of both counts. She got ten years of probation, a $5,000 fine, and restrictions barring her from directing, assistant directing, or any role involving crew safety oversight. Her sentence was the lightest of the three because she had cooperated with prosecutors reconstructing what happened on set.10The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Trial: 1st AD Hillary Schwartz Found Guilty9The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider: Did the Punishment Fit
OSHA and NTSB Findings
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Film Allman LLC for one willful violation (failure to protect employees from moving trains) and one serious violation (exposing workers to fall hazards on a trestle without guardrails), with fines totaling $74,900. The producers contested the penalties, but administrative law judge Sharon Calhoun upheld them in September 2015 and called the accident “entirely preventable.” The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission declined further review.11Los Angeles Times. OSHA Fines Midnight Rider12Variety. Midnight Rider OSHA Review: Film Allman Appeal
The National Transportation Safety Board found the probable cause to be “the film crew’s unauthorized entry onto the CSX Transportation right-of-way at the Altamaha River bridge… despite CSX Transportation’s repeated denial of permission.” The NTSB cited Rayonier’s role in facilitating access as a contributing factor and recommended that film industry guilds and unions educate members that railroads are private property requiring explicit authorization to enter.3NTSB. Railroad Accident Brief NTSB/RAB-15-01
The Civil Cases and CSX’s Share
Sarah Jones’s parents, Richard and Elizabeth Jones, filed a wrongful death suit in Chatham County State Court in Savannah against CSX, the producers, crew members, and Rayonier. Several producers and the landowner settled in 2014.13The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Railroad Company Settles With Sarah Jones Family
The case against CSX went to trial in July 2017. Testimony showed that two CSX trains had passed the film crew within an hour before the fatal collision, and neither operator reported the trespassers to dispatchers, in violation of CSX’s own policy.14The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Trial: Sarah Jones Family Awarded $3.9M in Damages The jury found CSX 35 percent responsible and valued Jones’s life, pain, and suffering at $11.2 million, making CSX’s share $3.9 million.15Los Angeles Times. CSX Sarah Jones Settlement CSX appealed, and the parties reached a confidential settlement, with a satisfaction of judgment filed in Savannah on January 25, 2019.16Deadline. Midnight Rider Case: Sarah Jones CSX Lawsuit Settlement
Injured crew members Joyce Gilliard, makeup artist Antonyia Verna, and still photographer Izabeau Giannakopoulos also sued the producers and CSX.17Variety. Midnight Rider Ruling: Plaintiffs Gilliard’s suit accused the production of misleading the crew about how many trains crossed the trestle daily and argued CSX should have taken precautions once aware the crew was in the area.18The Hollywood Reporter. Midnight Rider Hairstylist Sues
Randall Miller After the Conviction
In 2020, prosecutors sought to revoke Miller’s probation after learning he had directed a film called Higher Grounds, shot in Serbia, the United Kingdom, and Colombia. His defense argued a “grey area” in the probation terms allowed him to direct outside the United States. Sarah Jones’s parents called his actions “blatantly defiant and egregiously disrespectful.”19Deadline. Randall Miller Probation Violation Hearing
At a February 2021 hearing, Judge Harrison declined to revoke probation, ruling that Miller may have been genuinely confused about the scope of his restrictions. The judge issued a blunt warning: “You’re not to act as a director, period,” and made clear the restriction applied under any circumstances for the rest of the probation.20Variety. Randall Miller Probation: Judge Rules
Miller’s probation expired in March 2025. Under Georgia’s First Offender Act, he obtained a court order clearing the involuntary manslaughter conviction from his record. Miller said, “I am so grateful that this day has finally come. With this exoneration my record has been cleared,” and said he wanted to “contribute to the larger conversation about safety on film sets.” Richard Jones, Sarah’s father, responded: “Will people want to work for him? Personally I would caution them to think about their safety.”21Variety. Randall Miller Midnight Rider Manslaughter Conviction Cleared
With the directing bar lifted, Miller is now a writer and producer on an independent film called Supercrip, which received a $1.5 million California tax credit in late 2024. Production was initially planned to start in March 2025 but has been delayed, and it remains unclear whether Miller will direct. He has said the project will participate in California’s new Safety on Productions Pilot Program.22IndieWire. Midnight Rider Randall Miller California Tax Credit
Safety Reforms in Her Name
Crew members around the world posted photos of clapboards bearing tributes in a social media movement called “Slates for Sarah.” A public service announcement featuring David Lynch, Jack Black, and Steven Yeun debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, urging crews to prioritize safety.23College of Charleston. Sarah Jones
Jones’s parents established the Sarah Jones Film Foundation, a 501(c)(3) focused on on-set safety through awareness, accountability, and education. Its programs include roughly $2,500 student safety grants at schools including Columbia University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Southern California to cover permits and safety personnel;24Safety for Sarah. Sarah Jones Film Student Safety Grant Program a “Safety For Sarah” stamp productions can display in end credits when they meet high safety standards; and an annual Field Day and Walk for Safety held in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City on the first Sunday in October.25Safety for Sarah. The Foundation
At the institutional level, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees created an industry-wide safety hotline for members to report unsafe conditions.26Deadline. IATSE Safety Hotline Sarah Jones The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) launched a mobile app for anonymous reporting of dangerous set conditions.25Safety for Sarah. The Foundation As of January 1, 2015, OSHA tightened its rules to require reporting of all on-set accidents that result in hospitalization.23College of Charleston. Sarah Jones
California went further with Senate Bill 132, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2023, which created the Safety on Productions Pilot Program under the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program 4.0. Beginning July 1, 2025, productions receiving California tax credits must employ a qualified, independent safety advisor with the authority to halt production as a last resort to address hazards. The advisor runs daily safety meetings and risk assessments and submits a final safety evaluation report to the state film commission.27California Film Commission. Safety in Motion Picture Productions Under an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, studios have committed to modeling similar pilot programs for certain projects in New York and Georgia.28DGA. CA Safety on Production Pilot Program