The actor, who plays Archie on the hit CW show, was unhurt and production has not been delayed.
A recent solo car crash in Vancouver involving “Riverdale” star KJ Apa left the actor unhurt, and production has not been delayed. The accident occurred in the early hours this morning on his way home from filming on the CW and Warner Bros TV, and comes less than a month before series premieres its second season October 11.
The New Zealand-born Apa crashed into a lamp post in a rented car, sources say. After visiting a downtown Vancouver hospital, he was released this morning with no injuries.
An insider tells Deadline that a conference call between WBTV and reps for key “Riverdale” cast is set for Friday afternoon to discuss the incident and address safety concerns surrounding potential long hours on set.
According to a source close to the “Riverdale” production, standard industry options made available to on-location cast and crew include that anyone can request a hotel room, a taxi or a driver if they are feeling tired after a long day. The insider said Apa did not request transportation nor did he tell anyone he was tired.
WBTV had no comment when contacted by Deadline. Apa stars as Archie in the soapy drama series based on the Archie Comics. Apa’s agency UTA also had no comment on the incident.
This is the second incident to occur during a Vancouver production in recent months, following the death of stuntwoman Joi Harris on the set of “Deadpool 2.”
Long hours on TV and movie sets has been an issue in Hollywood for years. A recent BMJ study found that working in jobs with overtime schedules was associated with a 61% higher injury-hazard rate compared to non-OT jobs.
The danger was something the late filmmaker Haskell Wexler fought to spotlight all his professional life after camera assistant Brent Hershman was killed in 1997 after he fell asleep at the wheel and slammed his car into a utility pole while driving home from a job after working a 19-hour day – which had been preceded by four 15-hour days.
Wexler took out an ad in Variety calling for the “humane treatment of humans,” and a petition campaign was launched to lobby for “Brent’s Rule” – a maximum 14-hour workday.
