A survivor of the Baja California crash that killed actors Raimundo Gardoño Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez from the Netflix series “The Chosen One” says he doesn’t blame the truck driver or the production company. But actor Jerry Albelda says it’s a norm that “people are tired” in many productions.
Anda Mexican Actors Federation also held a remote press conference on Tuesday to look into the fatal accident.
In an interview with diverseAlbelda, one of the six survivors of the accident, said he was told that a mechanical failure might have caused it. He was told that others speculated that the driver was trying to avoid a pit or even a deer. No official report has been submitted yet.
“Sure, long days and nights are the norm in most business, and people are weary,” Abelda said.
Albelda does not remember the actual incident. The actors were on their way to catch an early flight home to Tijuana for a break when the truck they were in veered off the road and overturned. He only remembers gaining consciousness in an ambulance. “I was told I answered the questions but I don’t remember doing it,” said Albelda, who has suffered a concussion and broken collarbones and shoulder blades. Albelda said line producer Rolf Helbig was by his side the entire time as he was taken to a major hospital in La Paz.
Albelda, who plays a miner in the series, remembers that the truck driver was new. He says he didn’t notice anything unusual about the condition of the truck. “I made my statement to the police and I don’t blame the driver or the producer,” he said, adding that the driver remains in custody while the investigation continues.
From Garduño and Gonzalez, he knows they have supporting roles and that they still have scenes to complete.
In a teleconference with the media, Alejandro Calva, labor secretary at ANDA Actors Guild, indicated that the two actors who were killed were non-union members. “But we are following the case closely, they were important cultural figures in our country,” he said. He said that two members of the agency were injured in the accident, namely Cristina Martinez and Allied Benalusa, adding that Martinez remains in hospital with more serious injuries but is stable. He noted that production covers all costs related to the accident. He noted that “Redrum is one of the most important production companies in Mexico, operating with above-average budgets.”
Redrum, founded by Stacy Perskie and Adrian Grunberg, has long been one of Mexico’s major production companies, providing production services for titles including “Narcos: Mexico,” Apple TV Plus “The Mosquito Coast,” “Elysium,” and “Blade Runner 2049.” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.” This isn’t the company’s first fatal accident. In 2017, site explorer Carlos Muñoz Portal was killed while searching for the “Narcos: Mexico” site in a remote area.
“It is important for the Mexican entertainment industry to have unions for all of its sectors,” Calva said. “We advocate for stricter safety protocols and hope that this tragic event will bring some real change,” he added.
“The Chosen One” is an adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic book series “American Jesus” about a 12-year-old boy who, after being in a strange car accident, discovers he is the embodiment of Jesus and destined to save humanity.
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