The production ofDeadpool 2was stopped this week after the tragic on set death of 32-year old stuntwomanJoi “SJ” Harris. Hours after the accident, local law enforcement, the British Columbia Coroner’s Service, and WorksSafeBC announced that they would be conducting an investigation to figure out the true cause of these events. Now more details have recently been released surrounding the stunt gone wrong that explain what really happened.
Deadlineis reporting that Joi Harris' death was the result of alow-speed freak accident. The investigation report by WorkSafeBC was obtained by Deadline and it was dated on August 15th, 2017 and it details exactly what happened on the set on Monday. Apparently Harris had completed the stunt 5 times and the crash occurred on the 6th run through. A portion of the report reads.
“A temporary worksite had been setup to record a film scene for a movie production. The site had been cordoned off from general public and traffic by the Vancouver Police Department. The worker had been rehearsing a stunt scene that involved driving a motorcycle, Dictate 939 Hyperstrada, out of the open doors of a building, across a concrete pad and down a ramp that had been built over three stairs and coming to a stop on the stair landing.”
The next portion of the report reveals what Harris did after the 6th take. It reads as follows.
“During the first shooting of the scene the stunt driver continued driving beyond the planned stopping spot on the stairway landing, and continued to drive down a second ramp built over the bottom stairs and across the roadway. The motorcycle struck the concrete sidewalk curb, the worker was thrown off the motorcycle and propelled through a plate glass window of a building.”
Harris was thrown from the bike at a low-speed that resulted in her going through a glass window without a helmet on. Though Harris was an experienced motorcycle rider, this was her first-ever movie stunt. Some have spread rumors that she was under qualified and was only chosen for her skin color. That has been proven to be false. Sources say, “to say an unqualified person was put in this position is absolutely untrue. She was the best candidate for the job.”
The rest of report states that the Joi Harris never took the bike faster than 9.3 mile per hour, which is not very fast at all. Harris reportedly took the bike off camera and overshot her safety ramp, resulting in the bike hitting the curb. It looks as if it really was a freakaccident that killed Joi Harris. The Production ofDeadpool 2resumed 48 hours after the accident when Ryan Reynolds led the cast and crew in a moment of silence for Harris.
Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, andZazie Beetzall made statements from the set ofDeadpool 2, sending condolences out to Joi Harris' family and friends after thehorrible accidenton Monday. The on set death of Harris comes almost a month afterWalking Deadstuntman John Bernecker died on set after missing his safety pad from a fall from 20 feet, which was also deemed an accident.Deadpool 2is currently still on schedule for its June 1st, 2018 release date and will no doubt contain a tribute to Harris in some way.
