MIDNIGHT RIDER Director Becomes First Filmmaker To Go To Prison For Film-Related Death

27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones (above) died last year on the set of a movie called Midnight Rider when she was hit by a train as the production filmed on a bridge in Georgia that they didn't have permission to be on. Deadline reports that the film's director, Randall Miller (Houseguest, Bottle Shock), plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges and has been sentenced to two years in prison, 10 years probation, a $20,000 fine, and 360 hours of community service.

Accident-related deaths have happened in Hollywood before, but Miller will become the first filmmaker who actually goes to prison as a direct result of an on-set death. Jones' death was a tragedy that could have been avoided if the production had obtained the proper permission from train company CSX before filming on their property. There's no excuse for that kind of negligence, and a young girl's life has been cut short because of it. It's one thing to have a sense of guerrilla filmmaking, quickly shooting things in natural environments and sometimes operating without a permit. But it's something else entirely when you actively endanger the lives of your crew.

Miller's guilty plea was made partly in exchange for charges being dropped against his wife, producer Jody Savin. Miller's lawyers say they think he'll only serve one year of the two-year sentence, but as part of his punishment, he won't be able to serve as director, assistant director, or supervisor in charge of safety on any film production during his probation.