A stuntman filming an action sequence for the new James Bond film was seriously injured Wednesday. He and another stuntman crashed during a car chase on a winding lakeside road in Northern Italy.
The London-based production company for the film, "Quantum of Solace," said the experienced stuntman who was driving an Alfa Romeo at the time was still in the hospital in serious condition. Marco Girardi, a spokesman for the town of Limone sul Garda and a liaison to the production company, said the driver suffered serious head injuries in the crash. Another driver in the same car also suffered less serious injuries.
Girardi said the crew had been filming for two weeks when the Alfa Romeo crashed into a wall while filming a car chase with a truck and James Bond's Aston Martin. A helicopter on standby during the filming took the seriously injured stunt driver to Verona where he had surgery.
Girardi also said that filming was scheduled to conclude Wednesday, soon after the crash occurred. It was the second accident on the movie set in the past four days. On Saturday an Aston Martin was being delivered to the set when it skidded off the road and into Lake Garda due to heavy rain and poor driving conditions. There were no injuries and the car was later recovered.
Director Marc Forster and star Daniel Craig were not on set at the time of the accident. The production company closed the set on Thursday and workers and officials declined to comment to the press. Barring any more on-set incidents, "Quantum of Solace" will be released in the UK on Halloween and in the U.S. on 7 Nov.
