Cameraman Nearly ‘Beheaded’ by Rolls-Royce on Film Set

A cameraman has revealed how he was almost crushed to death while filming a close-up shot of a vintage Rolls-Royce on a film set.

Camera operator and cinematographer Matt Perren was working on a film set in North London in December 2024 when an actor — who did not have a driving licence — accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake and ran over him. According to multiple reports, Perren has been left seriously injured and unable to work. His camera equipment, valued at $13,000 (£10,000), was also destroyed in the incident.

U.K. news outlet The Evening Standard reports that Perren was positioned in front of the 1990s Rolls-Royce when the actor accelerated by mistake, pinning him under the vehicle and striking him with his own camera. He felt his collarbone “pop” and feared he was about to be beheaded as one of the car’s wheels came toward his neck.

“As I dragged myself from under the car, I realised a piece of camera equipment was propping the vehicle up, and it may have been the only thing that stopped me from being crushed to death,” Perren tells The Evening Standard.

The cameraman has now hired solicitors from Osbornes Law to take legal action against the production company Infinite Starlight Entertainment, which produces “vertical” short films for smartphones. Perren says the production company knew the actor did not have a driving licence.

“I thought the actor was an experienced driver and I would never have filmed with him if I knew he didn’t even have a licence,” Perren says. “On the fourth take, he pressed the accelerator and the car lurched forward, smashing the camera into my face and then crushing me underneath.

“My collarbone popped as it broke in several places. The pain was excruciating, and I screamed. People ran over to try and move the car, and in his panic, the driver pressed the accelerator again,” he adds. “At that point, I thought I was going to be beheaded as the wheel was so close to my neck. I thought I was going to die.”

Perren required hospital treatment after the incident and waited ten days for an operation on his damaged collarbone and shoulder. He also suffered broken ribs. He says he is now unable to work because his right shoulder is crucial for filming, and his camera equipment was destroyed. The cameraman’s partner Nicky quit her job to look after him.

“The production company said they would look after me, but I’ve had nothing despite almost dying and not being able to work,” Perren says. “If it wasn’t for my girlfriend, I don’t know what I would have done. It’s like they are trying to sweep me under the carpet, and it’s shameful that this can happen in our industry. Somebody needs to take responsibility for what happened, and safeguards need to be put in place to stop this happening again.”

The actor involved pleaded guilty in October at Stratford Magistrates’ Court to driving without due care and attention, driving while uninsured, and not having a licence to drive the Rolls-Royce, and was fined.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.