STUNT DRIVER KILLED IN CRASH
Filming of Deadpool 2 suspended
Joi (S.J.) Harris was a pro motorcycle racer with a deep passion for the sport and the adrenalin rush it provides.
But a ride in downtown Vancouver Monday morning while filming for Deadpool 2 — reportedly Harris’ first film as a stunt rider — took a tragic turn.
Witnesses say the female stunt rider had been manoeuvring a motorcycle down a set of stairs at Jack Poole Plaza when she lost control of the bike, jumped a curb and crashed into a glass window at Shaw Tower around 8 a.m.
A crumpled motorcycle could be seen on its side surrounded by broken glass. Crew members appeared distraught and one was in tears.
In a recording of the 911 call posted on TMZ, the caller could be heard saying an actor had gone “airborne” through a window into a building across the street and “hasn’t been moving.”
The stunt rider was treated by ambulance personnel but died at the scene. The B.C. Coroners Service and WorkSafeBC are investigating.
According to Deadline Hollywood, an online magazine reporting on the entertainment industry, Harris was not wearing a helmet when the crash occurred because her character was not wearing one in the movie. Production on the superhero sequel was shut down immediately, and there was no word Monday on when filming would resume.
Harris was performing a stunt by Domino, a new character in the Marvel sequel. The part is played by actor Zazie Beetz.
Nathan Kramchynski works on the seventh floor of the Shaw Tower and said he had been watching rehearsals of the stunt at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
When the crash happened, the rider appeared to pick up speed, crossed the street and swerved to avoid pedestrians before disappearing from his view, said Kramchynski.
“She lost control really quickly. It happened in a split second,” he said. “She was going full throttle and then there’s a building there.”
Deadpool 2, a sequel to the 2016 blockbuster starring Vancouver actor Ryan Reynolds, has been shooting in Vancouver since June 26. Ryan expressed his condolences to his crew member’s family and friends Monday afternoon.
“We’re heartbroken, shocked and devastated ... but recognize nothing can come close to the grief and inexplicable pain her family and loved ones must feel in this moment,” wrote Reynolds on Instagram. “My heart pours out to them — along with each and every person she touched in this world.”
According to her website, Harris got hooked on motorcycles after she rode on the back of a bike operated by a friend. She got her race licence in 2013 and began racing in 2014, and described herself as the first African-American woman to compete in an American Motorcyclist Associationsanctioned event.
Harris’ love for motorcycle racing is evident on her website and social media accounts, which contain many photos of her in gear and on the track.
In 2015, Harris told Black Girls Ride magazine that her goal was to bring road racing to more women and more African-Americans.
Harris was injured during a race in May and broke her left wrist. After the crash, Harris wrote about her “life-saving” helmet and expressed determination she’ll ride again: “My throttle hand is still good. This is motorcycle road racing. You either do it or you don’t. Hold your line.”
News of Harris’ death sent ripples of grief and shock across the racing community.
“My heart is broken. Hold your loved ones close. Tomorrow is not promised,” wrote Porsche Taylor of Black Girls Ride on Facebook. Taylor declined an interview, saying they were mourning the loss of a sister.
WorkSafeBC spokeswoman Trish Knight Chernecki said two officers are investigating to see if there are any immediate health or safety concerns, while three other officers are investigating the cause of the fatality and future prevention.
Findings on any immediate health or safety concerns could be available within several days, while the investigation on the cause of the mishap usually takes longer, she said.
Allan Webber was among those who came to the crash scene to observe as investigators assessed the scene then uprighted the stunt bike with its crumpled front tire.
“It’s like a cursed corner,” Webber said of the area, noting that just the day before the crash, one man died and two were injured in a bus collision down the street, and in 2013, actor Cory Monteith died in a neighbouring hotel.
Webber said he had previously watched the stuntwoman successfully complete a ride down Thurlow Street.
Jason Cameron, a business agent with the Union of B.C. Performers, would not confirm if the stunt woman was one of its members, pending official confirmation of her identity by authorities.
The UBCP represents 6,000 people who work as actors, stunt performers, singers and voice actors.
He said a union representative headed out to the set after hearing news of the crash.
Trauma counselling will be available, he said.
Cameron said despite Monday’s tragic incident, performing stunts is very safe.
“The nature of stunt performing is it is very dangerous but we are also talking about skilled and trained stunt performers who perform these very dangerous stunts in a safe way,” he said.
“These very complicated sequences and stunts happen on film sets all the time. (Mishaps are) pretty rare considering how often stunts like this are performed.”