Worker Killed After Wall Collapses On Him At Toronto Movie Set
Posted January 25, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a movie horror scene that wasn’t part of the script.
A worker dismantling a set for an upcoming Hollywood release was killed Thursday afternoon, when a wall collapsed on him.
Fifty-six-year-old David Ritchie was at 75 Commissioners St., in the Don Roadway and Cherry St. area, when something went wrong. Rescue crews rushed to the scene and tried to extricate the stricken employee, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Two other workers suffered minor complaints.
The areas around the Portlands have become frequent sets for Hollywood North. This film is called “Jumper” and stars Samuel L. Jackson and Hayden Christensen.
It’s set for a 2008 release but filming here wrapped up about a week ago. Crews had returned without the stars for some clean-up.
They were apparently taking the structure down when it suddenly crumbled by itself.
Barry Horsley was there when it took place.
“Any time you ever lose a friend, a wonderful human being … I don’t know what happened,” he shakes his head. “He was a very kind and cerebral and a very witty, witty good human being.”
Ministry of Labour is probing the circumstances.
And they’ve been busy.
It’s the fourth fatal industrial accident in the GTA this month.
On January 17th, an employee working on the roof of a building near Yonge and Finch plunged 14 storeys to his death.
The week before that, a man was crushed to death when strong winds blew off his hard hat and scaffolding came down on top of him at a condo construction project in the Kipling and Dundas area.
That happened 24 hours after a father accidentally ran over and killed his own son at a trucking yard in Mississauga.
Sign up for a del.icio.us account here to save your bookmarks for free online.
