‘9-1-1’ Crew Member Dies in Car Crash After 14-Hour Overnight Shift

Kelli Boyle May 13, 2024, 5:26 pm

A crew member of ABC’s 9-1-1 died on Saturday, May 11 following a 14-hour overnight shift on the show. Rico Priem was a best boy grip for the procedural that formerly aired on Fox and is currently in-season on ABC.

Priem was involved in a car accident on a highway after leaving the overnight shoot on location in Pomona, California. The night shift began on Friday, May 10, and extended into Saturday, May 11. Priem was a member of the crew union IATSE Local 80. The union confirmed his death on Monday, May 13 after social media posts about Priem’s death were posted over the weekend.

“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,” IATSE said in its statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

9-1-1 is produced by 20th Television. The studio said in a statement: “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.”

IATSE international president Matthew Loeb said in a statement that Priem’s death is a tragic loss” and that it will assist in investigations. The union is “shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss,” Loeb said. “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.”

The popular “Crew Stories” Instagram account (@crewstoriesig) posted about Priem’s death, including words from Priem’s 9-1-1 colleague, Nina Moskol.

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Moskol’s caption said that Priem was “on the cusp of retirement.”

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“I had just worked with him the Thursday night before,” Mosol wrote. “He was on the cusp of retirement, with his paperwork filed. 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, he wanted to teach the ins and outs of retirement at the local. We had just talked about all of these things while sitting at the tailgate of the 10-ton on Thursday night.”

“The two most dangerous parts of our days are getting to work, and getting home,” Moskol continued. “Please stay safe out there. Grip safe. Drive safe. Get off the road if needed. Take the room. In grief and solidarity, my kin. May Rico’s memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him.”

Comments on the Instagram post say that Pomona’s location was far enough out to warrant “mandatory hotel rooms” for the crew. These long overnight shoots starting on Fridays and stretching into the next day are called “Fraturdays” in the industry and were a point of contention when IATSE nearly went on strike prior to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.