Top SA stuntwoman loses arm after Resident Evil crash
South Africa’s most successful stuntwoman, Olivia Jackson – respected for her work on the latest Star Wars movie – will have her left arm amputated after a motorbike crash on the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
South African born stutwoman Jackson, 34, spent two weeks in a coma after crashing her motorbike on the filmset before doctors took the decision to have her arm amputated.
South African celebrity interviewer working in London for the past 20 years, Pierre de Villiers, tweeted “Inspired by the bravery and resilience of SA-born stunt woman #oliviajackson as she continues on her road to recovery after a horror crash” when the news broke that her injuries will result in the loss of her arm.
The injuries occurred when Jackson was filming a high-speed motorbike chase stunt in South Africa for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which stars Milla Jovovich expected to be released on the big screen in September 2016.
She reportedly crashed into a metal camera arm; the camera arm is believed to have “malfunctioned” and did not lift when she approached. This could not be confirmed by filmmakers.
Following the incident, Jackson, who is now a UK resident, was put in an induced coma because she also suffered head injuries, a punctured lung and facial scarring.
Shortly after waking up from the coma she told the UK’s Independent newspaper: “My facial scarring is horrible and I wish I had my old face. But I’m truly grateful to be alive.”
Apart from her work in the latest Star Wars ‘The Force Awakens’, Jackson has previously had stunt roles in Mad Max: Fury Road, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
