Netflix issues statement addressing "unfortunate accident" that killed two The Chosen One actors

Netflix has shared an official statement after a fatal van crash near the set of its new series The Chosen One killed two actors, Ray Garduño and Juan Francisco González.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident that took the lives of Ray Garduño and Juan Francisco González,” a Netflix spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly. “Our thoughts are with their loved ones and with those injured during this unfortunate accident.”

According to reports, Garduño and Gonzàlez died last week after a van carrying several members of The Chosen One’s cast and crew crashed and flipped on a desert road near Santa Rosalía-Loreto, Baja California. Six others were injured in the crash.

Netflix had been producing the series, initially titled American Jesus, alongside independent production company Redrum.

Redrum shared its own statement about the accident with EW. “All of us on the production of The Chosen One are shocked by the tragic accident occurred last Thursday, while on transit from Santa Rosalía, Baja California, to the local airport,” the statement reads. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleagues Ray Garduño and Juan Francisco González and are closely supporting all those affected by this unspeakable tragedy. Redrum has been cooperating with local authorities and initial reports and accounts from witnesses indicate that all safety protocols were in place and this was an unfortunate accident.”

Filming for The Chosen One began in Mexico in April. According to the original logline, the series follows “a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he’s returned as Jesus Christ. He can turn water into wine, make the crippled walk, and, perhaps, even raise the dead! How will he deal with the destiny to lead the world in a conflict thousands of years in the making?”

Production on the series has already been paused in the wake of the tragedy.