Medical Examiner’s Office Investigating Crash That Killed Driver From Netflix’s ‘The Electric State’ (EXCLUSIVE)

K.J. Yossman
·3 min read
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Authorities are investigating the death of an experienced transportation captain who died last Friday during the making of Netflix film “The Electric State,” Variety has learned.

Peter DeToffoli died almost instantly when the Chevrolet SUV he was driving slammed into a semi-truck on the I-75 northbound (pictured above in 2014) at a “high rate of speed” according to the initial investigation report. The accident took place just after 3 a.m. local time.

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DeToffoli’s steering wheel and windshield were crushed on impact and the emergency medical services found him “trapped and unresponsive” in the driver’s seat. Firefighters used jaws of life to cut off the vehicle’s doors and extract him but tragically could not resuscitate him. The 58-year-old was pronounced dead just before 6 a.m.

A source told Variety that skid marks on the road suggested DeToffoli had tried to brake just before impact.

“The Electric State” is a sci-fi movie based on Simon Stalenhag’s illustrated novel of the same name starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt. Anthony and Joe Russo are directing and producing.

Netflix declined to comment but a source close to the project said production was paused on Friday as a mark of respect. Cast and crew were also given access to counseling resources. “Our hearts go out to his family,” said the source.

According to his IMDB page, DeToffoli was an experienced driver based in Los Angeles who had worked on projects including “The Black Dahlia,” “Ray” and “I Am Sam” and as transportation captain on “The Finder.” His LinkedIn page also suggested he had worked as a driver at Twentieth Century Fox. He was a member of driving union Teamsters.

The incident report noted that trucking law books and logbooks were found in the vehicle DeToffoli was driving alongside a production badge for the TV show “Bones.”

Although the production source said the crash happened after DeToffoli had wrapped work for the day and was on his way back to his accommodation, Variety understands that the Clayton Country Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating whether DeToffoli was officially off the clock at the time of the accident. And they are also looking into whether, given he was a professional driver, the amount of hours he was working could have contributed to the accident. A source close to the project says he worked a 10-hour day, in accordance with production guidelines.

The crash took place during a second consecutive night shoot on the project. Clayton County Parks & Rec advised residents of road closures as a result of shooting for “The Electric State” not far from the crash site between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. on both Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, bleeding into the next morning.

A source in Atlanta familiar with the shoot schedule told Variety that crew had also worked through the night on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Clayton Country Medical Examiner’s office told Variety: “This case is still under investigation. At this time there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, and currently it is being viewed as an unfortunate accident.”

The statement continued, “We have not been able to ascertain if the deceased was working at the time of the accident or if he had been sleep deprived.”

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