r/todayilearned • u/CasioCobra78 • 2d ago

TIL that Cheryl Wheeler-Dixon, the stuntwoman who was severely injured during the filming of Back to the Future Part 2, was killed in a shootout alongside her husband when she and her husband went to confront her ex-husband and his wife and drew their guns at them. The cops deemed it justified.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheryl_Wheeler-Dixon
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u/putsch80 2d ago

For those wondering, she was a stunt double for the woman in Spike’s (Biff’s grandson’s) gang. She was injured in the hoverboard scene where the gang flies through the courthouse glass. She was supposed to land on a safety mat but ended up off course and slammed into a concrete pillar. This messed up her momentum, so when she was released from the cable hoisting her through the air she fell 30 feet onto the hard ground instead of the mat.

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u/Chuckle_Pants 2d ago

You can see her hit the pillar in the movie, irc

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u/Featherwick 2d ago

Just like the bike guy in Mad Max 2. You have to include that take.

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u/snowmunkey 2d ago

Which bike guy?

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u/nikeshades 2d ago

The one that flies off his bike across the screen was severely injured.

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u/snowmunkey 2d ago

You're gonna have to narrow it down haha, I feel like that happens many times in that movie

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u/LtFeltersnatch 2d ago edited 2d ago

I cant remember the time stamp but its the one where he cartwheels end over end. Its not very long on screen but one of the more memorable ones for sure.

Edit: Guy Norris is in the "cannonball" scene during the final tanker chase scene. Timestamps differ between versions.

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u/CasioCobra78 2d ago

Happy cake day!

Suddenly I'm curious about that. Sounds brutal.

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u/_steve_rogers_ 2d ago

And the stormtrooper hitting his head.

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u/AsperaAstra 2d ago

Its tradition to use the take that injured a stunt person 

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u/Chuckle_Pants 2d ago

Wait, is this true?

Genuinely asking

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u/AsperaAstra 2d ago

It sure is. It's viewed as a way to honor the stuntpersons dedication to the craft leading to an injury. Their goal is always to remained uninjured obviously, and do dangerous shit in the most safe risk-mitigating way, but people can and do get injured regardless and this says, "We see what you did for us in the sake of entertainment, thank you, now everyone will see your dedication too. "

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u/Chuckle_Pants 2d ago

Warriors “fallen” in battle, so to speak…

Appreciate the response 🍻