Female ‘Deadpool 2’ Stunt Driver Dead After Motorcycle Crash

UPDATE: 8:21 p.m. — Deadline confirmed that the victim is Joi “SJ” Harris. “Deadpool 2” was her first film as a stuntwoman. She was a professional road racer.

UPDATE: 6:59 p.m. EDT — “Deadpool 2” star and producer Ryan Reynolds released a statement on Twitter.

UPDATE: 3:47 p.m. EDT — Fox released a statement via the Hollywood Reporter. “We are deeply saddened by the accident that occurred on the set of ‘Deadpool 2’ this morning. Our hearts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of our crew member during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said.

Original Story: The “Deadpool 2” set experienced a tragedy Monday when a stunt went wrong. The Vancouver Police Department has confirmed that a female stunt person died in a motorcycle crash.

The Vancouver Police used Twitter to confirm reports of a death. They said that investigators from both the police department and WorkSafeBC (an organization dedicated to making sure work enviornments are safe) were at the scene of the accident, which took place at Shaw Tower Monday morning.

According to CTV News, witnesses saw the “Deadpool 2” crew filming scenes with a motorcycle near Jack Poole Plaza. The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle around 8:20 a.m., driving off set and crashing through the window of Shaw Tower.

An Advanced Life Support Ambulance arrived and stayed at the scene for a little under an hour. The ambulance did not use sirens or lights when leaving the area, possibly indicating that the stunt driver died at the scene.

“People were running on the sidewalk, the motorcycle comes flying across the street, looks like from a ramp because it was in the air,” a witness told Global News. “[The rider was] standing on the bike, slams into that building, clearly hit and out-of-control and clearly not planned.”

“Deadpool 2” has stopped filming for the day. It isn’t clear when they’ll resume the shoot, which started in late June.

Motorcycles appear to be heavily used in “Deadpool 2.” Many of the set photos captured by paparazzi have shown new characters Domino (Zazie Beetz) and Cable (Josh Brolin) in action. Beetz was pictured last week with Domino’s stunt double while filming a motorcycle scene.

The Vancouver Sun reports that the same motorcycle model Domino was seen riding, a black Ducati, was involved in the accident. It has not been confirmed if Beetz’s stunt double was involved in the crash. The victim’s name has not been released yet.

Last week, the Vancouver Police Department was seen on the set of “Deadpool” under much lighter circumstances. They were posing for a photo op with star Ryan Reynolds, who plays the titular superhero. Reynolds posted a group picture and thanked the officers for their help with filming.

“Deadpool 2” is the sequel to the hit 20th Century Fox film. The 2016 Marvel superhero adaptation tells the story of Wade Wilson, a man seeking treatment for his terminal cancer. His experimental treatment leaves his entire body scarred, but he also ends up with some serious superpowers. The movie was a box office hit, earning over $750 million worldwide.

Details about the R-rated sequel have been kept under wraps. David Leitch is directing while Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have penned the script.

“Deadpool 2” is set to be released on June 1, 2018.