Director sued over death of movie propmaster

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The parents of an assistant propmaster killed in an accident during the filming of "The Kingdom" have sued director Peter Berg, seeking reimbursement of funeral expenses and other damages.

Berg was traveling in a sport utility vehicle in August 2006 when it collided with a golf cart-sized vehicle on a road near Mesa, Ariz. The impact killed Nick Papac, who was working on the closed set of "The Kingdom," an action thriller starring Jaime Foxx and Jennifer Garner.

Papac's parents, Mike Papac and Michele Bell, filed suit against the director, a driver and a production company in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday. They are asking for an unspecified amount that would include the costs of the funeral, lost earnings and medical expenses.

The film had just finished shooting for the day on a closed stretch of highway on the far eastern side of metropolitan Phoenix when Papac, 25, was struck. A statement released by the filmmakers at the time said that Papac collided with Berg's SUV and was attended to by paramedics for Universal Pictures/Forward Pass. He later died at a hospital.

Berg's attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday morning.

Mike Papac is a longtime Hollywood propmaster. Studio officials said at the time of the accident that he was at his son's side at the time of his death.

His attorney declined to discuss specifics about the case, saying it was still in its early stages.

Berg, whose directing credits include this summer's blockbuster "Hancock" and previous films such as "Friday Night Lights," was not injured in the crash.