How “9-1-1”'s Angela Bassett and Aisha Hinds Honored Their 'Integral' Crew Member on Set After His Death

Crew member Rico Priem was involved in a fatal car accident on the highway on May 11 after working a 14-hour overnight shift on location

Angela Bassett and Aisha Hinds are opening up about the loss of Rico Priem days after the 9-1-1 crew member's death.

On Saturday, May 11, Priem — a grip who worked on the police procedural — died at age 66. He was involved in a car accident on the highway after working a 14-hour overnight shift on location in Pomona, Calif.

Shortly after the news of his death, Bassett shared how the cast honored their late crew member's life and the special way they honored his legacy.

"The studio, 9-1-1, we all extend our deepest condolences to his friends to his family. It was just a very, very sad moment. We're all rocked by it, certainly," she told Entertainment Tonight. "It's the first time [we experience death]. We have births, you know, we have weddings and now to experience this."

Related: 9-1-1 Crew Member Dies in Car Accident Following 14-Hour Overnight Shift

When the cast and crew got together again following the news, Bassett said that they "had to take a moment, just take time and take a moment."

"We thought it was important to come together and have whatever bit of service and offer whatever we can do to his family, 'cause we know that we'll miss him but we know they will miss him even more," she added, noting that "so many beautiful words were spoken of him" during their gathering.

Hinds — who plays Henrietta "Hen" Wilson on the series — also paid tribute to Priem and the lasting impression he left in a post shared to Instagram on Tuesday, May 14.

"Devastated," she began alongside a photo of the show's title card. "Words….ever insufficient…none able to carry the harrowing heartbreak reverberating through our 9-1-1 family."

Related: Angela Bassett and Peter Krause on How Their Chemistry on 9-1-1 Brought Them 'Closer Together as Actors' (Exclusive)

"As the industry processes the passing of one of our invaluable and invested individuals—notably loyal, thus lauded and loved for his commitment to his craft and sharing the wisdom he’d gleaned from decades of working in this industry, hearts are heavy navigating feelings of grief and gratitude for the life of Rico Priem," Hinds continued.

Hinds went on to describe Preim as one of the "unsung heroes of our show" and explained how he was one of the crew members who contribute "an immense amount of time, talent, and tenacity to servicing the stories that fill our screens-small and large."

"Our crews are the cornerstone of our community," she continued. "The crew is integral to the execution of every idea that begins in the minds of creatives becoming long lasting memories and moments that live on in the hearts of humanity."

Related: 9-1-1's Aisha Hinds on Bringing Her Character's Vulnerability into Her Own Marriage Offscreen (Exclusive)

Sharing how the 9-1-1 cast have "undoubtedly become a family," Hinds noted how they've strived to "comfort and care for each other" over the years.

"Rico graced us with his presence and passion, before he passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday, May 11th," she said. "It is the hope and the unspoken assumption that when we wrap a days work, we will see each other again to do it all over again the next day. His passing has stilled our hearts and signaled for more conversation and care in that area."

Hinds concluded her message with expressing her "deep love for our crew" and gave thanks and reverence "for the legacy of Rico Priem."

"Whispering a gentle prayer to the sacred soft spaces within his family’s hearts that ache in his absence," she added.

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Priem had many notable credits on his resume, including projects such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Star Trek, Christmas With the Kranks, Ghost World, S.W.A.T., and The Company You Keep.

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