Director Randall Miller Gets Manslaughter Conviction Cleared Years After Camerawoman's Death on Midnight Rider Set

Randall Miller, the Midnight Rider director who was convicted of manslaughter after a camerawoman died in an on-set train crash, has officially had the conviction cleared after completing his probation.

Miller was convicted and banned from filmmaking for the last 11 years after camerawoman Sarah Jones died in a 2014 crash while filming a scene for the canceled film.

The Wrap first reported the news on Friday, reporting that Miller’s conviction was wiped clear due to a Georgia law that allows first-time criminal offenders to be exonerated in exchange for an agreed-upon level of service.

“I am so grateful that this day has finally come. With this exoneration my record has been cleared,” Miller, the former director, told the outlet in a statement.

Variety reported that Jones, who was working on the film as a camera assistant, died after being struck by a freight train while she and other crew members were setting up a shot on a bridge without the proper clearance. 

Miller had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and trespassing charges after Jones’ death, according to The New York Post. The Wrap reported that Miller was sentenced to 10 years in prison but only served one year before he was released on probation, though he was still barred from filmmaking for the decade following the incident.

The director is reportedly working on a new film that recently received $1.5 million in California tax incentives, according to The Wrap.

After Jones’ death, her father Richard Jones set up the Safety for Sarah non-profit organization, which advocates for film crews’ safety on set.

On the anniversary of her Feb. 20, 2014, death last month, Richard went on social media to raise awareness about the issue.

“Will Sarah Jones’ tragic death be lost in time as well? We say, ‘Never Forget,’ but will we?” the father said in a statement shared on Instagram. “Have we truly learned that safety must be an integral part of every film project, or will each death become just another fleeting news story, evaporating like tears in the rain?”