A crew member on the Longmire TV series was tragically killed in a rollover car accident in New Mexico.
According to Nikki Finke’s new website, the longtime crew member on the A&E series allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel at about 4:30 am last Saturday while driving home from the set after working an extended shift.
Finke recently launched her new website after separating from Deadline Hollywood , a popular entertainment news site that she founded which is now under new ownership.
Longmire is a crime drama based on a mystery novel series now entering its third season that centers on Walt Longmire, a laconic, no-nonsense Wyoming sheriff. The New Mexico location doubles for the lawman’s fictional Wyoming jurisdiction. Actor Robert Taylor is featured in the title role, with Lou Diamond Phillips and others in the supporting cast.
The deceased production worker, 48, was a member of the Teamsters union which is investigating the incident from the standpoint of possible excessive hours that might have violated federal law.
According to Finke’s sources, “Long hours have been an issue on set for a while. Fridays are the worst, with a late start and a reduced turnaround over the weekend, they’ll run you until the sun comes up on Saturday morning and have you back on set for 6 AM on Monday.”
The Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office also is conducting a probe into the rollover which occurred on SR 41 in the Stanley area of the county.
The Longmire producers along with Warner Horizon and A&E released a joint statement about the incident: “Our thoughts are with the family of Joe Tuck, a driver for Longmire and a valued member of the Longmire team, who sadly passed away recently. On behalf of the entire cast, crew, studio and network, we offer the Tuck family and Joe’s friends our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences on this terrible loss.”
[image via Bing]
