A survivor from Netflix's 'The Chosen One' accident that claimed the lives of actors Raymundo Garduno Cruz and Juan Francisco Gonzalez, stated that he does not blame the van driver or the production company. The actor Yeray Albelda says, "it's the norm that people are exhausted in many productions."
The Mexican actors union ANDA also held a remote press conference on Tuesday to weigh in on the fatal crash, as reported by Variety.
Albelda, in an interview with Variety, said, he was told a "mechanical failure" could be the cause of the crash. While he was told that others have speculated that the driver was trying to avoid a pothole or even a deer. However, no official report has yet been submitted.
Sources close to the production have confirmed that the filming has resumed.
"For sure, long days and nights are the norms in most productions, people are exhausted," the survivor said.
Albelda does not remember the actual crash. The actors were on their way to an early morning flight to Tijuana for a break when the van they were on was off the road, before flipping over. He just remembers regaining his consciousness with an ambulance. "I was told that I answered questions but don't recall doing that," said Albelda, who suffered from his concussion, collarbone and shoulder fractures. According to Albelda, production manager Rolf Helbig was with him all along while he was transferred to a major hospital in the city of La Paz.
Albelda, who plays a miner in the series, remembers that the van driver was new. He says that he hadn't noticed anything unusual about the van's condition. "I made my statement to the police and I don't blame the driver or the production," he said, adding that the driver remains in custody while the investigation continues, as per Variety.
In a conference call with the media, Alejandro Calva, Secretary of Labor of the actors' union ANDA, said the two actors killed were not members. "But we are closely tracking the case. They were important cultural figures in our country," he said. He said two ANDA members, Cristina Martinez and Alaide Penarosa, were injured in the accident, adding that Martinez had been hospitalized with more serious injuries, but is now stable. He stated that the production had covered all costs associated with the accident.
"Redrum is one of Mexico's leading production companies and operates on an above-average budget," he said.
Redrum, founded by Stacy Perskie and Adrian Grunberg, has been one of the key production companies in Mexico, has provided production services to titles including 'Narcos: Mexico,' Apple TV Plus' 'The Mosquito Coast,' 'Elysium,' 'Blade Runner 2049' and 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters.'
( With inputs from ANI )
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