Railroad safety rules raised in trial over film worker death

SAVANNAH, Ga. – A jury in the civil trial of a railroad owner accused of negligence in the 2014 death of a member of a trespassing movie crew is hearing about the railroad’s safety rules.

Sarah Jones was killed by a freight train that slammed into the film crew making a movie about singer Gregg Allman. The crew was shooting on a Georgia railroad bridge after being denied permission by owner CSX Transportation.

Jurors heard their second day of testimony Wednesday in a lawsuit against CSX by Jones’ parents. Their attorney, Jeffrey Harris, showed a CSX policy stating train operators should immediately report unauthorized people “on a track or right of way.”

Two trains passed the film crew standing near the tracks within an hour before the fatal crash. But nobody reported them.