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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 1 april 2017
AP Exclusive: Report details Sizemore’s role in set accident

ANTHONY McCARTNEY wasn’t supposed to move
AP Entertainment Writer the vehicle during filming
LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the scene, according to
minute, veteran stuntman records obtained by The
Steve de Castro was play- Associated Press.
ing dead during filming of The accident left de Cas-
the television series “Shoot- tro with fractures in his wrist
er” at a remote location and forearm, bone and
north of Los Angeles. The tissue damage and 100
next minute, de Castro was stitches in his forehead, the
run over and dragged by records show. The stunt-
a sport utility vehicle driven man was pinned by the
by actor Tom Sizemore. SUV and had to be airlifted
It was no stunt. And it wasn’t from the rural airport where
the only thing not in the “Shooter” was filming on
script that day. Sizemore July 6 of last year.

This April 18, 2013 photo shows actor Tom Sizemore in New York. Records show that Sizemore was
not supposed to drive a vehicle during the filming of a scene for the “Shooter” television series in
which he ran over a stuntman, leaving him seriously injured.
Associated Press
The files obtained by the AP tional safety inspectors. his car,” the report states.
include interviews with sev- Also, publicity-conscious “Mr. Sizemore’s decision to
eral people on the set who studios rarely comment drive was not in the script,
said Sizemore attended a when workers are hurt on and not expected to oc-
safety briefing and rehears- productions. cur.” Sizemore’s agent
als, where he was instruct- Cal/OSHA, as the lead declined comment. Para-
ed to get behind the wheel agency, did not close its mount did not return an
of the SUV in a shootout inquiry until January, so de- email seeking comment.
scene but not move it. Yet tails of its investigation were “Shooter,” a TV adapta-
he inexplicably drove off, off-limits until they were tion of the 2007 film about
running over de Castro. released after a public re- a sniper who becomes en-
Although the SUV was not cords request by the AP. tangled in a global con-
supposed to be moved, In October, de Castro sued spiracy, represented a po-
it was left running to allow both Sizemore and Para- tential comeback for Size-
the air conditioner to work mount Pictures, which is more. The actor’s reputa-
during the filming at a high- producing the USA Net- tion in Hollywood has been
desert airport in the Agua work series. ravaged by drug abuse
Dulce area of northern Los His lawsuit contends Size- and domestic violence ar-
Angeles County. more was intoxicated dur- rests after a career that in-
Details about the accident ing filming, but there was cluded prominent roles in
and how Sizemore’s ac- no mention of the actor “Saving Private Ryan” and
tions deviated from shoot- being impaired in the Cal/ “Black Hawk Down.”
ing plans were included in OSHA file and if de Castro A few days after the
an investigation file com- raised that issue in an inter- “Shooter” accident, Size-
piled by the workplace view after the accident, it is more was arrested on suspi-
safety agency Cal/OSHA. not reflected in the investi- cion of domestic violence.
The agency issued no ci- gator’s notes. He pleaded no contest to
tations over the accident A Paramount investigative domestic battery charges
after determining it didn’t report provided to Cal/ and remains on three years
have jurisdiction because OSHA stated that Sizemore of informal probation.
the stuntman was an inde- and co-star Omar Epps De Castro has worked as a
pendent contractor, not a were supposed to run to stuntman for about 12 years
studio employee. the vehicle in the shootout and his credits include two
Little information on the scene, but not drive away. “Captain America” films
mishap or de Castro’s inju- The scene was rehearsed and other Marvel movies.
ries was revealed after the several times before film- On “Shooter,” he was play-
incident or in subsequent ing, and Sizemore and de ing “Russian Guard #3,”
months, in part because Castro both attended a who is gunned down dur-
the Los Angeles County safety meeting the previ- ing a shootout at a small
Sheriff’s Department, which ous day, the records show. airport. The accident was
has police jurisdiction in the “When, after rehearsals, not included in the episode
Agua Dulce area, did not the scenes were filmed for “Red on Red,” which aired
open an investigation, say- live action, Mr. Sizemore im- earlier this year, nor does
ing at the time that it would provised at the end of the it show Sizemore driving
be handled by occupa- scene and drove away in away from the shootout. q