‘Speed Racer’ Actor Christian Oliver & 2 Daughters Killed In Caribbean Plane Crash

Denise Petski
·2-min read

Christian Oliver (real name Christian Klepser), who starred in films including Speed Racer and Valkyrie among others, was killed Thursday along with his two young daughters when their small plane crashed into the sea off a Caribbean island. The owner and pilot of the plane, identified as Robert Sachs, also died in the crash. Oliver was 51.

According to authorities, the single-engine plane took off Thursday afternoon from J.F. Mitchell Airport in Bequia, a tiny island and part of the Caribbean nations of St. Vincent and Grenadines and was headed to nearby St Lucia when it crashed.

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Among the dead were Oliver’s daughters, Madita Klepser, 12, and Annik Klepser, 10.

“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement provided to media outlets. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance.”

All four bodies have been recovered, officials said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. According to local reports, the pilot radioed the tower shortly after takeoff reporting he was experiencing trouble and was turning back. That was the last communication from the plane.

The Germany-born Oliver worked with Steven Soderbergh in The Good German opposite Cate Blanchett and George Clooney, with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise in Valkyrie and the Wachowskis’ 2008 pic Speed Racer. He also starred for two years as a detective in the popular German action series Alarm for Cobra 11 for RTL. His TV credits also included Saved By the Bell: The New Class, and his most recent credit was last year’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Oliver had just wrapped his latest movie, Forever Hold Your Peace, co-starring Bai Ling and directed by Nick Lyon, filming his final scenes on December 20.

Lyon posted a photo on the final day of film and paid tribute to Oliver with the caption: “We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it! Thank you for being a great colleague, actor and friend.'”

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A post shared by Nick Lyon (@nicklyondirector)

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A post shared by Bai Ling 白灵 白靈 (@iambailing)

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