• reality shows
  • reality TV reviews
  • about
  • contact
  • reality TV schedule
  • best reality TV
  • send tips or feedback
  • support
  • subscribe
History Channel Ice Road Truckers

Ax Men loggers investigated over episode; Ice Road Truckers crew injured in accident

by Andy Dehnart 17 Mar. 2009 | 5:48 pm

A crew working on the History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers was injured in Alaska, while some loggers featured on Ax Men are being investigated because of footage that aired on the show.

In Alaska last Thursday morning, “a pickup truck carrying three passengers and a driver hit a rig owned by Carlile Transportation Systems and … two of the four were injured, the driver possibly severely,” The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports. The accident was likely weather-related, as “[e]xtreme winds and drifting snow made it almost impossible to see” and “it took police almost three hours to drive 10 miles to reach the accident scene.”

History spokesperson Michael Feeney confirmed the people in the pickup were Original Products crew members working on Ice Road Truckers, and he told the paper, “Our continued concern is with those who are injured and their families. We are in contact with the production company and know that they are all receiving excellent care.”

Meanwhile, the Washington state officials are investigating S&S Aqua Logging, one of the companies featured on Ax Men. An episode showed them possibly “breaking state law by salvaging logs from the Hoquiam River without permits,” The Seattle Times reports. The government “seized more than 50 logs and other pieces of wood” that came from a “river bottom [that] is considered state aquatic lands, [so] the logs are public property. … The logs can be valuable because they are preserved and essentially pressure-treated while underwater,” the paper reports.

Jimmy and James Smith were shown pulling logs from the river on the show, and Department of Natural Resources law enforcement chief Larry Raedel joked to the paper, “We get our cases from TV now.” He said that “(the owner of the company) had inquired about permits, and we said we don’t issue permits for that kind of activity. So, apparently he went off on his own and was doing it.”

Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark criticized the network, for some ridiculous reason, in a statement that said “It is unfortunate that the History Channel has chosen to glorify illegal activity and unsafe logging practices on their television program.”

History Channel crew involved in Dalton Highway truck crash [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner]
“Ax Men” episode more like “The Real World” for state timber regulators [Seattle Times]

discuss this story

more great reality blurred stories

  • Recommended reality TV: Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and America to Me
  • The best reality TV shows of 2018
  • The Survivor rule book and Survivor cast contract
  • Go behind-the-scenes at the Big Brother house
  • Behind the scenes of The Last Alaskans
  • Interviews with reality TV producers and cast members

most-popular stories on reality blurred

Jeff Probst, Survivor David vs. Goliath episode 10

Survivor Edge of Extinction: What we know so far about Survivor season 38

Survivor season 38 will feature returning players and a huge twist that could effect how the game is played and who wins.

Survivor Edge of Extinction marooning

Survivor’s marooning: 34 boats, 714 people, 9 hours, one great 10,000-word story

The opening minutes of Survivor Edge of Extinction took days to plan and involved "34 different boats carrying 714 bodies over a total of 1,500 miles."

Life Below Zero season 11, Sue Aikens

When Life Below Zero will return for season 11, and who it will follow

Exclusive: Life Below Zero is returning to National Geographic for season 11 this fall, with a cast that includes one new person.

Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, Method Man, Drop the Mic

How Drop the Mic’s celebrity rap battles are written

The new TBS series Drop the Mic features rap battles between celebrities, and one of its writers detailed how those are scripted by the show's writers.

Are You The One season 5 cast

MTV’s Are You the One season 8 casting sexually fluid, non-binary people

AYTO's producers want the "usual hot singles" but also "sexually fluid individuals," and twins.

Winter 2019 reality TV show debut schedule and guide

Winter 2019 reality TV schedule and guide

This winter reality show 2019 schedule is a frequently updated list of premieres for broadcast, cable, and streaming reality TV shows, documentary series, game shows, and other prime-time nonfiction TV.

Ryan Ulrich, Devon Pinto, Patrick Bolton, Survivor 35

Why you should never judge a Survivor for their clothes

All about Survivor contestants' clothes and the rules for them: Who buys and pays for the clothes, why Survivors don't wear swimsuits the whole season, and other details.

Siesta Key, MTV

How Siesta Key was filmed and how it differs from Laguna Beach

An interview with the co-creator of Laguna Beach, whose new MTV show Siesta Key uses that format but avoids the fiction that befell its spinoff The Hills.

Hell's Kitchen 15, Gordon Ramsay, Fox

Kitchen Nightmares chef says he had “no interaction with Ramsay” except on camera

The couple featured on the Kitchen Nightmares season 2 episode "Bazzini" said the producers created drama on the Gordon Ramsay show.

Survivor toilet facilities toilet paper

Is Survivor water drinkable? Where do Survivors poop? Is there toilet paper?

What kind of toilet facilities do Survivor cast members have? Do they get toilet paper? Is their water in the well drinkable, or do they have to boil it?

behind the scenes of reality TV

Sharknado 3 Ian Ziering

Sharknado 3’s surprises, on screen and behind the scenes

Oh hell yes: Sharknado is back on Syfy tonight, and the third installment brings with it more ridiculous mayhem and another slew of reality TV cameos. Shark Tank‘s Mark Cuban as the actual president, and, of course, the ever-serious Ian “EYE-an” Ziering from Celebrity Apprentice is the franchise’s star, Fin Shepard. The third installment brings… continue reading

Survivor

Survivor: how challenges are created, how Samoa impacted the crew, why twists are fair

I talked to the people responsible for Survivor challenges including challenge producer John Kirhoffer and executive producer and host Jeff Probst.

Hunted, Sentra Tran, Thu Tran

Behind the scenes of CBS’ Hunted

A person who appeared on CBS’ Hunted reveals key details about how the show works—and Channel 4’s version of Hunted also offers insight.

older

102 Minutes that Changed America includes amateur, professional footage of Sept. 11

newer >

Mark Burnett’s Expedition Africa is History’s “biggest investment” ever

more stories about History Channel, Ice Road Truckers

reality TV news and reviews, in your inbox

One hand-crafted message sent every Friday. Free. Subscribe now:

about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

stay connected with reality TV

Get advice about what to watch and keep up with the latest in reality television with reality blurred's e-mail newsletter. Just enter your e-mail address:

about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

explore

  • recent news
  • reviews of reality TV shows
  • behind the scenes reports
  • interviews with producers and reality stars
  • archives
  • send tips
  • search
  • advertise on reality blurred
  • about reality blurred
  • newsletter
  • RSS and social media
  • contact reality blurred
  • send tips & contribute
  • privacy policy
  • terms of service
Copyright © 2000 to 2019 Andy Dehnart and individual contributors.