'Speed Racer' Actor Christian Oliver And His 2 Daughters Killed In Caribbean Plane Crash
HuffPost
The German actor was bound for St. Lucia in a single-engine plane with his children when an apparent mechanical failure occurred.
Christian Oliver, who starred in films including 2008′s “Valkyrie” and “Speed Racer,” was killed Thursday in a plane crash in the Caribbean along with his two young daughters. The plane’s owner and pilot, identified as Robert Sachs, reportedly died as well.
Oliver was 51 years old. His daughter Madita was 10 and Annik was 12.
The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement that the accident occurred off the coast of Bequia. Oliver, who was born Christian Klepser in West Germany, was bound for St. Lucia with his kids in a single-engine aircraft that took off from J.F. Mitchell Airport on Bequia.
Locals told The St. Vincent Times on Thursday that the plane made a sputtering noise upon takeoff. Island resident Danroy Joseph likened it to “when a vehicle is struggling — you know, stalling, struggling for power to go up a hill.”
“Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean,” police said in a Facebook statement Thursday. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance.”
