Filmmaker Luc Besson, called “the French Steven Spielberg” by some, was placed under investigation Tuesday in a probe into the death of a cameraman who was hit by a car in a 1999 stunt shoot.
Judicial officials speaking under the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press said Besson was one step short of being charged in an investigation for involuntary manslaughter and injury.
The incident occurred during the 1999 shoot of the French car-chase film Taxi 2, produced by Besson. In one of the film’s scenes, a taxi was to be seen flying over a battle tank, but the stuntman’s car overshot the braking platform and slammed into a film crew, killing 41-year-old cameraman Alain Dutartre.
His assistant, Jean-Michel Bar, 26, suffered two broken legs. The stuntman and a security guard were also hurt in the accident.
The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a judicial inquiry focusing on the crash a week after the accident.
In April, Taxi 2‘s stunt director, Remy Julienne, was placed under investigation.
Besson‘s numerous directing credits include Subway, The Big Blue, The Professional and The Fifth Element.
