health and safety

Batwoman Production Assistant Paralyzed in On-Set Accident

Photo: The CW

According to Deadline, Amanda Smith, a comedian and production assistant for the CW’s Batwoman, suffered serious injuries resulting in spinal damage while working on the show’s set in Vancouver on March 11. Smith’s friend and colleague Tyler Mazzucco told the Vancouver Sun that Smith had been struck in the head by the bucket of a lowering boom lift, the sound of which, he said, she couldn’t hear over the noise of traffic passing on the Georgia Viaduct. “She was literally just sitting there and it came down on top of her,” he said. Smith, having sustained burst vertebrae, was then rushed to Vancouver General Hospital for emergency spinal surgery.

Mazzucco, along with several others, started a GoFundMe to help pay for Smith’s medical fees, which will include physical therapy and rehab, as she is currently paralyzed from the waist down. The Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia confirmed to Deadline that it is investigating the incident.

“A valued member of the Batwoman production team was recently injured during the preparation of a filming location in Vancouver,” a rep for Warner Bros. TV said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with her for a speedy recovery. We are working closely with WorkSafeBC to provide any and all requested information. We continue to work to protect the health and safety of all our crews, casts, and employees.”

This is not, however, the first serious injury to happen on the set of Batwoman. The show’s star, Ruby Rose, also required emergency surgery after damaging her spine while shooting a stunt this past September. Meanwhile, production was suspended on the show’s first season on March 13 owing to growing concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

Batwoman Production Assistant Paralyzed in On-Set Accident