Animator Luis de la Rosa has died at the age of 34 following a train accident at the Annecy Animation Festival in France. The Mexican illustrator was known for his work on projects such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and My Little Pony: The Movie.
De la Rosa was attending the annual event in the city near the French-Swiss border when he was struck by a train while walking along the tracks. The driver is believed to have sounded the horn after spotting him, attempting to alert him of the train's approach.
Emergency services were dispatched, but de la Rosa was killed instantly and pronounced dead on-site. He was identified due to wearing an accreditation lanyard for the Annecy Film Festival around his neck at the time.
The scene is now fenced off and off-limits to the public, with a police investigation ongoing. The Annecy Animation Festival is expected to pay tribute to de la Rosa during its closing ceremony this weekend.
De la Rosa had been at the festival to present his latest project, Ash Raider World. He was often credited as Luis de la Rosa Obregón in his work and was based in Vancouver at the time of his death.
Tributes have been pouring in on social media, with fellow animators and friends sharing messages of condolences. Many have expressed shock and sadness at his sudden and tragic death.
De la Rosa had a growing animation career, having worked on several TV and film projects, including Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: The Series. He had also worked with various gaming studios, including Titmouse Inc., Petty Karma, and Deluxe Animation.
De la Rosa graduated with honours from Vancouver Film School in 2015 and had been open about his journey to becoming an animator. He had penned a bio stating that he had pursued his passion for animation despite being told it wasn't a viable career.
