Yahoo News Alec Baldwin shooting: Rust armourer’s insurer ‘paid $50k settlement to avoid her being sued for friend’s death in motorcycle crash’
An insurance company for the lead armourer on Alec Baldwin’s film Rust reportedly paid a $50,000 settlement last year to prevent her from being sued over her friend’s death in a motorcycle crash.
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, was responsible for overseeing firearm safety on the Western film’s set in New Mexico when Baldwin fired a “live” prop gun last week, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
A year before the shooting, Ms Gutierrez-Reed was linked to another fatal incident which saw her insurance company shell out tens of thousands to protect her from liability, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The former model’s friend Tyler Dyer wrecked his motorcycle while intoxicated and died after attending a party with her and her boyfriend Aaron Butcher in Arizona in August 2020.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed allegedly told police that she’d watched Mr Dyer and Mr Butcher drink four to five beers each at the party before she lent the keys to her motorcycle to Mr Butcher and the men left.
They were riding next to each other when Mr Dyer lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a wall, according to a police statement after the crash. Mr Butcher also crashed his motorcycle after swerving to avoid Mr Dyer.
Mr Butcher was on probation for a DUI at the time of the crash, and had been ordered by a judge to only drive vehicles with a breathalyser attached, according to TMZ. Ms Gutierrez-Reed’s motorcycle did not have one, the outlet said.
Court documents showed Ms Gutierrez-Reed’s insurance company ultimately paid Mr Dyer’s family $50,000 as part of a settlement which protected her from any future litigation in the case, TMZ reported.
Ms Gutierrez-Reed found herself at the centre of another investigation last week after Baldwin’s fatal on-set shooting.
The armourer’s account of the shooting emerged in an affidavit filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court on Wednesday, after authorities confirmed Ms Hutchins was killed by a single live projectile.
She told investigators that on the day of the incident she inspected the gun before it was discharged by Baldwin and “checked the ‘dummies’ and ensured they were not ‘hot’ rounds,” according to the affidavit.
“During the course of filming, Hannah advised she handed the gun to Alec Baldwin a couple of times, and also handed it to [assistant director] David Halls,” the document states. “When Affiant asked about live ammo on the set, Hannah responded no live ammo is ever kept on set.”
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