9-1-1 Crew Member Dies in Car Accident After 14-Hour Shift
Originally appeared on E! Online
9-1-1 is mourning a tragic loss.
Rico Priem, who worked as a grip on the ABC series, died in a car accident May 11 following a 14-hour overnight shift, his union IATSE Local 80 confirmed.
California Highway Patrol told TVLine that Priem was driving home when, for unknown reasons, his vehicle left the road, went up an embankment and flipped onto its roof. He was reported dead at the scene and the cause of the crash, which was reported around 4:20 in the morning, is still under investigation.
E! News has reached out to local police and 20th Television, which produces 9-1-1, for comment but has not yet heard back.
IATSE Local 80 President Matthew Loeb shared in a statement, "Everyone in the IA family is shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss. We are working to support our member's family, their fellow members and colleagues. Safety in all aspects of the work our members do is our highest priority and we will assist in any investigation in any way that we can."
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The union also noted the priority it places on members' safety.
"We are fully committed to the safety and the well-being of all our members and express our heartfelt condolences to the member's family," it added in addition to Loeb's words. "Workers have a reasonable expectation that they can get to work and come home safely. No one should be put in unsafe circumstances while trying to earn a living."
20th Television, per The Hollywood Reporter, also shared a statement that read, "On behalf of the studio and everyone at 9-1-1, we send our sincere and deepest condolences to Rico Priem's family and friends."
Following the news of Priem's passing, fellow grip and IATSE Local 80 member Nina Moskol shared a moving tribute to her former colleague.
"He was on the cusp of retirement, with his paperwork filed," she wrote in an Instagram post. "He had his already rich life planned for retirement, including spending time with his wife, watching his grand-nephew grow, riding his beloved Harley, and even gripping still to stay connected to his friends. He was so jazzed about what he had learned about retiring."
She continued, "We had just talked about all of these things while sitting at the tailgate of the 10 ton on Thursday night."
And in addition to expressing her sadness at Priem's loss, Nina also included an important reminder.
"The two most dangerous parts of our days are getting to work, and getting home," she said. "Please stay safe out there. Grip safe. Drive safe. Get off the road if needed. Take the room."
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