The Walking Dead is now filming outside Atlanta, Georgia this summer, which is great news for fans of the zombie drama. However, on Wednesday, stuntman John Bernecker has been severely injured on the set of the hit TV series. According to Deadline’s sources, he suffered a severe head injury after falling 30 feet to a concrete floor.
Bernecker was transported to Atlanta Medical Center, where he’s being treated in the ICU. According to the Spoiling Dead Fans, production has been halted and unlikely to start again tomorrow.
It is important to point out that in 2013, production stopped on the set of The Walking Dead after a zombie extra was run over by a truck. 20-year-old, Zane Orr, was hit by a military truck whose brakes malfunctioned, so the young background actor was immediately airlifted to a nearby Atlanta hospital. Apparently, a 2.5-ton truck rolled over Orr’s stomach, but miraculously, his injuries were life-threatening, and the young actor was released from the hospital just three days later.
The Beautiful @LaurenCohan came to visit me on Sunday in the hospital, such a good heart and nice person. pic.twitter.com/LlvHaBzWEp
— Zane Orr (@zane_orr) September 10, 2013
This is not the first time someone was injured on the set of a TV show or movie filming in Georgia. Two years ago, assistant camera operator Sarah Jones was killed on the set of the film Midnight Rider. In 2014, during the first day of filming, the crew was filming on an active railroad bridge in Wayne County, Georgia. Sarah Jones was killed when she was struck by a moving CSX freight train that was traveling on the bridge. Production was suspended, and multiple investigations into the incident were undertaken. The movie’s director Randall Miller pled guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing and received a ten-year sentence.
Following Sarah Jones’ death Safety for Sarah movement started campaigned by Jones’ family, friends, and supporters. The goal of the campaign was to create greater awareness and attention to security issues in the production of films and television.
You can check out John Bernecker’s stunt reel below.