The Dark Knight Death on the set! =(

[LexCorp]

Ah, I thought so. Someone told me Chicago, but I'm pretty sure they're done filming in Chicago.

Yes the person who died hit a tree in Surrey, England.

 

[LexCorp]

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[Anita18]

Pulling up an old thread, but they've done quite a bit of investigating over the accident and the BBC has some more details about how he died.

A special effects technician was killed filming a stunt for the latest Batman film as he leaned out of a vehicle which hit a tree, an inquest has heard.

Conway Wickliffe, 41, was operating a camera from the back seat of a moving Nissan 4x4 which failed to negotiate a bend at a site in Longcross, Surrey.

He was pronounced dead at the QinetiQ site near Chertsey where filming for Batman: The Dark Knight was being held.

A jury is hearing the two-day inquest at Woking Coroner's Court.

The court was told Mr Wickliffe, a father of two originally from New Zealand, was in the back seat of the vehicle, which was driving alongside a stunt car at 20mph.

"Instead of turning on to the service road it carried on and I saw it impact the tree" - Crew member Ian Mitchell

The accident happened during a test run for a scene in which the Batmobile is blown up.

An old American police car was being used as the unmanned "rocket car" in a car park area at the former military site.

It was being fired off a ramp by a "black powder cannon" while pyrotechnic explosions in the boot were set off.

As the vehicle landed a further cannon inside the car was fired to flip it over, the jury heard.

The inquest heard that Mr Wickliffe was in the back seat of the 4x4, leaning out of the window and facing backwards to capture the shot.

But the car, being driven by another special effects technician, Bruce Monroe-Armstrong, failed to make a 90 degree turn at the end of the run, and hit the tree.

Ian Lowe, the prep supervisor for the stunt, said the rest of the crew thought it had gone according to plan until "Bruce came running around the corner".

Another crew member, Ian Mitchell, said he watched the 4x4 reach the end of the run but carry on into the grass.

"Instead of turning on to the service road it carried on and I saw it impact the tree," he said.

"It appeared to be a glancing blow."


Mr Wickliffe had worked on a number of blockbuster films, including Batman Begins and the James Bond film, Casino Royale.

His partner Dee Chase earlier told the inquest that he loved his job and loved life, taking part in extreme sports such as snowboarding and parachute jumping.

His death was the first of a number of disasters to hit the Dark Knight movie.

Heath Ledger, 28, who played film villain The Joker, died of an accidental drugs overdose in January.

Christian Bale, who starred as Batman, was accused of assaulting his mother and sister on a trip to London but no charges were brought.

Then fellow actor Morgan Freeman suffered serious injuries in a car crash in Mississippi in August.

The film's closing credits carry a dedication "in memory of our friends Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe".

The inquest continues.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/surrey/7705690.stm

It's a shame that someone has to die when making something to merely entertain us, but he loved what he did and IMO you really can't ask for anything more in your life.

 

[gqxsensazn]

I wonder why the article decided to include the details of Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, and Morgan Freeman. Sure they were bad things that happened but its not related to the story.

 

[Bat-Mite]

I wonder why the article decided to include the details of Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, and Morgan Freeman. Sure they were bad things that happened but its not related to the story.

I believe they're trying to make TDK out to be a "cursed" film similar to how The Exorcist is often portrayed.

 

[Ekricket]

I believe they're trying to make TDK out to be a "cursed" film similar to how The Exorcist is often portrayed.

And then within a few months of the film's premeire the economy collapsed......


Not to make light of this guys death, that was truly tragic. But when people then try to pile on and build it into a bigger story, like a curse, only cheapens the true tragedy that the story should be illuminating.