Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds mourned the loss of Deadpool 2 stunt woman Joi Harris who died while filming a motorcycle trick Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

A stunt person was killed while filming a scene for Deadpool 2 in Vancouver, Canada on 14 August. Joi 'SJ' Harris, who was recognised as the first female African-American road racer, died while attempting to perform a motorcycle trick.

"Vancouver police can confirm that a female stunt driver has died on the set of 'Deadpool' during a stunt on a motorcycle," the Vancouver police department said in a statement.

Ryan Reynolds, the star of the superhero franchise immediately issued a statement mourning the loss of his crew member. "Today, we tragically lost a member of our crew while filming Deadpool," he stated in a Twitter post. "We're heartbroken, shocked and devastated... but recognise nothing can come close to the grief and inexplicable pain her family and loved ones must feel in this moment. My heart pours out to them — along with each and every person she touched in this world."

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Director David Leitch also expressed his grief and offered his condolences to Harris' family. "I'm deeply saddened by the loss of one of our stunt performers today," he wrote. "No words can express how I and the rest of the Deadpool 2 crew feel about this tragedy. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones in this difficult time."

20th Century Fox issued a similar statement.

According to People magazine, this was Harris' first gig as a movie stunt person and she was a double for Zazie Beetz who plays the mutant Domino in the film.

Witnesses claim the incident occurred at 8am on Monday when the motorcycle rider crashed through a plate-glass window at Shaw Tower on West Waterfront Road near Jack Poole Plaza. She was not wearing a helmet at the time since her character did not wear one.

An on-the-scene reporter for the local news station CTV Vancouver reported that an Advanced Life Support ambulance was arrived following the accident and stayed for 45 minutes before leaving without its sirens on.

WorkSafeBC has now launched a long-term investigation into the accident.