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'Midnight Rider' filmmakers indicted for camera assistant Sarah Jones' death

Jones' parents filed a wrongful death suit May 21.

By Annie Martin

JESUP, Ga., July 3 (UPI) -- Midnight Rider filmmakers Randall Miller, Jody Savin and Jay Sedrish were indicted with involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass Thursday.

The charges are related to the death of 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones earlier this year. Jones was struck and killed by a train while filming for the Gregg Allman biopic in February, and her parents filed a wrongful death suit May 21. The suit claims the filmmakers "operated without minimum safety precautions and contrary to standard industry practices for productions of this scale and for productions involving dangerous filming conditions."

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The accident took place in Georgia, where a manslaughter conviction could carry a sentence of 10 years in prison. Criminal trespass is considered a misdemeanor, and carries a sentence of up to 12 months. Miller was the director, wife Savin the producer and Sedrish the executive producer and production manager.

Production came to a halt after Jones' death, and star William Hurt, who was present at the time of the accident, pulled out April 23. Film inspiration Gregg Allman wrote a lengthy letter to Miller a few days later that implored the director not to resume production.

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