First things first, K.J Apa is fine. He’s been discharged from the hospital, and the first assement showed no serious injuries. That’s the good news.
Once the serious concerns are out of the way, though, we have to talk about the crash, which THR is reporting happened when the actor fell asleep driving the 45-minute trip home after a 16-hour workday.
THR further reports that cast and crew on the show have demanded better safety protections during productions, and honestly, we can’t blame them. Especially considering how lucky Apa was – he’s fine, but his car was nearly destroyed, which shows that the damage could have easily been severe.
We’re just saying – no one should have to drive 45 minutes, past midnight, after shooting 16 hours. This is one of those issues that transportation, to-and-from set would easily solve, for example.
Apa’s crash brings to light recent concers about safety on sets, not only for actors, but for stunt professionals and others in the industry. In July veteran stuntman John Bernecker fell to his death on the set of The Walking Dead during a rehersal, and less than a month later, professional motorcycle ride S.J Harris was involved in a fatal crash during filming for Deadpool 2.
The important thing, for now, is that K.J Apa is fine, but long-term, studios need to implement the best possible safety precautions to protect actors, stunt professional and the rest of the people involved in the business of bringing our entertainment to the screen.
