'X-Files' Accident Leaves 1 Dead, 6 Injured

L O S  A N G E L E S, Aug. 1, 2000 -- A member of The X-Files production crew was electrocuted and six others injured in a freak accident on the set.

The tragedy occurred Monday when a power line struck a scaffolding, sending a 4,800-volt charge through the 15-foot-high structure. Jim Engh, one of six people working on the scaffolding, died of cardiac arrest. The five others on the structure and one person on the ground were also injured, one critically.

“It charged the entire scaffolding,” Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said.

Wells said it was not clear how the power line came into contact with the scaffolding, which was set up at the back of a three-story apartment building in Los Angeles. But officials are already asking questions.

Deadly Combination

The scaffolding was set up for a scene, a metal skeleton next to an apartment complex — and right next to power lines.

It turned into a deadly combination when a worker hit the lines with a metal pole.

City officials say the film crew had no business setting up where they did.

“Obviously it was dangerous,” said Mark Hollister of the city’s Department of Water and Power. “There were 7 injuries, one of them a fatality. It just goes to show that it’s a dangerous situation that can be eliminated, can be mitigated if the proper steps are taken.”

Utility crews say they can move power lines if they’re contacted.

As a result, the accident has already caught the attention of both the state’s OSHA inspectors and the district attorney’s office.

“The district attorney’s office has an environmental crimes investigation unit, and we roll on all incidents where there is a person injured seriously or there’s a death,” said Tom Simpson, an investigator with the D.A.’s office.

The investigation will likely center on the scaffolding, and why it was set up so close to the deadly power lines.

Working on Season Premiere

The crew was working on the season premiere of The X-Files, the spooky series about the paranormal produced by 20th Century Fox, said studio spokesman Steven Melnick.

“All of us are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague Jim Engh,” Chris Carter, creator and executive producer of The X-Files, said in a statement.

“Our hearts go out to his family and friends. He will be deeply missed by all who have known him and worked with him,” Carter said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the other crew members who were injured. We wish them a speedy recovery.”

According to a production notice at the scene, the crew was preparing for a scene involving dialogue, a foot chase down an interior rear stairwell and rain effects on rear stair windows.

Filming at the location was to begin Tuesday, Melnick said. He said he was not sure if the filming would go forward as planned. None of the actors in the series, which stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, was present when the accident occurred.

The accident comes just three months after a similar incident in Los Angeles. ABC-7 reporter Adrienne Alpert suffered severe injuries when the mast of her live truck hit a power line.

ABC station KABC in Los Angeles and The Associated Press contributed to this report.