Motion picture cameras existed in 1896, which was when William Crush staged a collision between two locomotives. But was the crash filmed? Or is the footage we see actually from the 1920s film Denver & Rio Grande?
No, it was not filmed. I catlogued virtually all U.S. motion pictures released from 1894 through 1903, and that was not among them. It would have been a sensational release if anybody had footage. Several other disasters (mostly fires) were covered by cameramen.
P.S. What is this 1920s film? I can’t find any title like that. Was it a newsreel or documentary?
My mistake. 1952’s D&RG had a collision. I conflated that with a reference to a mand called ‘Head-On Joe’, who apparently staged crashes until the 1920s.