This is the moment a cinematographer was run over and almost crushed to death as he filmed a close-up shot of a 1990s Rolls Royce on a film set in north London.
Cameraman Matt Perren, 27, was positioned in front of the classic car when the driver accidentally put his foot down on the accelerator instead of hitting the brake.
He was struck by his own camera and then pinned under the vehicle, and says he feared he was about to be beheaded as one of the wheels of Rolls Royce came towards him.
As he dragged himself from under the car, Mr Perren realised a piece of camera equipment was propping the vehicle up, and may have been the only thing that stood between him being crushed to death.
Mr Perren has now hired solicitors from Osbornes Law to take legal action against the production company, Infinite Starlight Entertainment.
He says the company – which specialises in “vertical dramas” which are short films for mobile phones – knew the actor in the scene, Eugene Kyere-Diabour, did not have a driving licence.
“I thought the actor was an experienced driver and I would never have filmed with him if I knew he didn’t even have a licence”, said Mr Perren.
“On the fourth take he pressed the accelerator and the car lurched forward, smashing the camera into my face and then crushing me underneath.
“My collar bone popped as it broke in several places. The pain was excruciating and I screamed. People ran over to try and move the car and in his panic the driver pressed the accelerator again. At that point I thought I was going to be beheaded as the wheel was so close to my neck. I thought I was going to die.”
The cameraman, from Rotherhithe, south London, said he was left in “unbelievable” pain after the incident, in Carlow Street, Camden, on November 22 last year.
“I looked across and could see that an apple box, used to keep the camera in place, was holding the car up.
“If it hadn’t been for that box I may well have been crushed to death.
“When I found out the driver didn’t have a licence I was in shock. I thought it just was an accident before that, but after I found out I was angry that this had been allowed to happen as the production company knew he didn’t have a licence.”
The driver, 47-year-old Kyere-Diabour, from Beckenham, southeast London, pleaded guilty on October at Stratford magistrates court to driving without due care and attention, driving while uninsured, and not having a licence to drive the Rolls Royce.
He was fined £675, ordered to pay £150 costs and a £277 victim surcharge, and six penalty points will be placed on his provisional licence.
Mr Perren received hospital treatment after the incident, and had to wait ten days for an operation to his damaged collar bone and shoulder. He also suffered broken ribs.
He says he is now unable to work because his right shoulder is crucial for filming, camera equipment valued at £10,000 was destroyed or damaged, and his partner Nicky quit her job to look after him.
“The production company said they would look after me, but I’ve had nothing despite almost dying and not being able to work”, he said. “If it wasn’t for my girlfriend, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Mr Perren says the production company has failed to engage with his legal claim for damages, and he has accused the firm as well as insurance broker WK Insurance of not revealing who had insured the set that day.
“It’s like they are trying to sweep me under the carpet and it’s shameful that this can happen in our industry”, he added. “Somebody needs to take responsibility for what happened and safeguards need to be put in place to stop this happening again.”
Laura Swaine, partner at Osbornes Law, said: “Our client has had his life and career devastated by this horrific incident that could have easily seen him lose his life. Despite this the defendant’s actions have been disgraceful. We would urge them to do the right thing and engage with us so we can reach an agreement that will allow my client to move on and start to rebuild his life.”
WK Insurance told The Standard that Mr Perren’s lawyers know who the insurer is - a claim that has been flatly rejected by Osbornes Law.
Infinite Starlight Entertainment has been contacted for comment.
