Quantum of Solace

[Daskedusken]

Fraser Dunn talks about the Aston Martin DBS plunge in to Lake Garda

The driver of James Bond's Aston Martin DBS which plunged into an Italian lake during filming yesterday described how he cheated death just like the hero spy - reports The Telegraph.

Fraser Dunn, 29, was at the wheel of the £134,000 car when it skidded off the road and plunged into the icy waters at high speed.

He was left shaken but not stirred despite being knocked unconscious by the impact and when he came to the car was at the bottom of the lake - at a depth of more than 150ft.

Mr Dunn, who is an Aston Martin engineer and not a stuntman, suffered only minor injuries and was able to kick his way out of the car and swim to the surface - just like Her Majesty's favourite secret agent.

Today Mr Dunn, who is from Leamington Spa, was in hospital at Arco near Trento in northern Italy and said, "I'm doing very well considering what happened but I was very, very lucky.

"I do feel lucky to be alive because I was knocked out by the force of the impact and when I came to the car was at the bottom of the lake - I have been told it was 150ft down.

"The whole thing was a bit James Bond like - I just kicked out of the car and swam to the surface - my lungs felt as if they were going to explode and my chest still hurts now.

"Apart from a few bruises I am fine and I hope to be out of hospital within a day or so. It's actually very embarrassing and I’d like to try and forget the whole thing."

The accident happened in the early hours of the morning at Torbole on the edge of picturesque Lake Garda where filming for the new Bond film Quantum of Solace is taking place.

Mr Dunn added: "I have been out here for a month filming and working with cars. I'm an engineer with Aston Martin and not a stuntman - although I feel like one now.

"I have had a lot of support from the production team and I'm very grateful to them although as I said I’d like to put it behind me.

"I have been with Aston Martin for five years and I have never bent one until now. I can't believe I’m alive. I was very lucky.

"All I remember was that the road was wet and I wasn't going that fast but the next thing I knew I came off and I ended up in the water.

"I can't have been going that fast as another engineer was following me in a Fiat Punto. The next thing I remember is swimming up to the surface and the rescue people being there. How I managed to get out I will never know."

The car - one of five on the set - had been due to be used for a scene when Bond, aka Daniel Craig, roars away from a fireball crash - and a truck ends up in the water.

A rescue crane and a team of divers was called into salvage the car but it is a complete write off with its roof caved in and windows all smashed.

Today it was under a tarpaulin at a wrecker's yard and was expected to be moved later this week to Aston Martin's Italian office at Padova.

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=6163
-------------

Another article:

Driver of crashed Aston Martin DBS fined by Italian police

The man behind the wheel of James Bond’s Aston Martin has been fined £400 for dangerous driving after he drove the car into a lake during filming - reports the Daily Times.

British engineer Fraser Dunn, 29, was left shaken and more than a little stirred after the £134,000 Aston Martin DBS slid off the road and plunged into Lake Garda in northern Italy, where filming is taking place on the new Bond movie Quantum of Solace.

Now local police have said he has been given a mandatory fine for dangerous driving. Local police chief Marco Zucchelli said: “This is a standard fine for dangerous driving because the driver lost control of the car.” Dunn, who is from Leamington Spa, was left with just minor injuries after the accident.

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=6162

[JoniJoni]

New James Bond movie: 'Quantum of Solace' or 'Jinxed'?

Stuntman fighting for life after third accident in a week on Italian set of 'jinxed' Bond movie

A stuntman was fighting for his life today after a spectacular accident on the Italian set of the latest James Bond movie - the third in less than a week.

Insiders on Quantum Of Solace are already speaking of a jinx following a series of mishaps in the shooting of the latest escapade of Her Majesty's favourite secret agent.

Last weekend British engineer Fraser Dunn, 29, cheated death after he crashed a £134,000 Aston Martin DBS into the water at Lake Garda in northern Italy. And just hours later a stuntman was injured in another car chase.

The latest incident involved a Greek stuntman, who suffered serious head injuries after an Alfa Romeo 159 he was driving in a chase scene involving James Bond ploughed into a lorry.

Grecos, who was playing a villain, had to be cut free from the mangled wreckage of the car by firefighters following the accident at Limone dell Garda near Brescia.

He was airlifted to hospital and was today in a critical condition in hospital with serious head injuries.

Another stunt driver Italian Bruno Verdirosi suffered minor injuries.

Filming on the 22nd Bond film - which again stars Daniel Craig - was immediately halted and today producers were still debating whether to reshoot the scene or scrap it completely.

Sandro Pelligrini, of the Italian production team, said: "It was the second to last day of filming at Lake Garda and we still don't know what is going to happen - whether it is going to be reshot or scrapped."

One set insider said: "There is talk of a jinx on this movie - three accidents in a week even for an action spectacular like James Bond is too much.

"Some are saying that the safety netting for the accident involving Evangelos wasn't secured properly."

Earlier this month, while filming in Chile, a local politician was arrested after driving onto the set to protest against the filming. Carlos Lopez briefly interrupted the shooting in the town of Baquedano, 995 miles north of Chile capital Santiago. According to local media, he objected to its producers using his community to film scenes ostensibly set in Bolivia.

The current Bond movie is far from the first to see injuries to cast or crew.

Bond girl Halle Berry was hurt in 2002 during the making of Die Another Day as Bond - played at the time by Pierce Brosnan - was filmed firing at a helicopter.

In 1997, during the filming of Tomorrow Never Dies, Brosnan was hit by fragments of a bullet and scarred.

In 1967 during You Only Live Twice with Sean Connery a stuntman lost both his legs in the rotor blades of a helicopter.

http://thefunlounge.blogspot.com/2008/0 ... olace.html

[JoniJoni]

http://www.tmz.com/2008/04/24/james-bon ... ash-again/

[JoniJoni]

Geez, now perezhilton.com

http://perezhilton.com/2008-04-24-more- ... et#respond

And now drudgereport.com/


I'm terribly worried as it doesn't sound good for the driver.

[Daniel_Craig]

[Daskedusken]

Terrible

It's no joke being a stuntman. Hope they're better now.

[JoniJoni]

Yes, it's terrible.

www.thesun.co.uk says one of the cars was being driven by remote control.

[Lu]

How horrible. Surely in this day and age they can computer generate some of these car chases!! It can't be any more expensive than wrecking all these cars not to mention the possible loss of human life.

[advicky]

Where is he now? In Italy or in Austria or in England?

[Germangirl]

Italy - Carrara

They’re going to shoot in Gargnano and Limone until 25 April. Daniel Craig is resting in London after filming in Siena and Chile, but he’ll be available to shoot some reverse shots if the weather is good. It’s almost sure he’ll be in Carrara between April 25 and May 13, where they’ll film some important scenes in the very famous quarries of marble, with a flying camera (I think they’ll use cables).

http://commanderbond.net/article/5076

[Daskedusken]

Where is he now? In Italy or in Austria or in England?

I would assume he's in Italy, since the accident took place there even though he was not involved.

[zonzi]

No solace for Bond stuntmen after second crash
3 hours ago

ROME (AFP) — The shooting of the latest James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" is proving dangerous for stuntmen after a second crash Wednesday in just five days left one daredevil in intensive care.

The accident happened when the car used by two stuntmen rammed into a filming lorry and then into a wall on set near the picturesque Lake Garda in northern Italy, ANSA news agency reported.

One of the two men, a Greek national, ended up in intensive care in a hospital in the nearby town of Verona.

This was not the first accident to befall the crew in recent days after a Bond stunt driver crashed 007's famous Aston Martin DBS into Lake Garda ahead of filming on Saturday.

The unnamed driver was taking the car on to the set when he lost control of the vehicle for reasons yet to be established and plunged into the lake.

Sky Italia TV pictures later showed the car being winched back on to dry land, with ANSA reporting that the stuntman -- quickly rescued by firemen -- escaped with only minor bruising.

A source said the car was the only one available for shooting, which has so far seen the crew move from England to Panama, Chile and Mexico. A further location trip to Spain is planned.

"Quantum of Solace", the second Bond film to feature 40-year-old British actor Daniel Craig as the suave secret agent is set to be released later this year. The film picks up where the last instalment "Casino Royale" left off.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iFN ... UNP29NntWA

Hey Misha, you anticipated me, I just read the article in Italian ( http://www.ilmessaggero.it/articolo.php ... E_INITALIA ) and it says ( as you have posted ) that a stuntman got seriously injured in the second crash

[funnlim]

150 feet under the sea and unconcious and he still survived? Very very lucky indeed and that car must be a veruy good car since no water in the car if not the drive would have drowned. In part 1 it rolled over what? 7 times? And still looked driveable and although now it is totalled, considering the driver didn't drown despite being unconcious is a testament how well made the car is; the window must be well shut and such.

Makes me want to buy the car.

This is the life of a stuntman. Remember Dark Night? The stuntman died. THese guys are lucky.

[montana]

from today's new york post issue

original: http://www.sendspace.com/file/4jg01l

resized:

[redluna]

Thanks Montana!