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A tragedy occurred as one of the crew members of Fox's 9-1-1 passed away in an automobile accident early Sunday morning.
THR reports that Rico Priem was a grip for the show. He worked a 14-hour shift before the incident and passed away from an accident that occurred on the way home.
About Priem's accident
The California Highway Patrol stated that his Toyota Highlander was found overturned when it was reported around 4:27 a.m. It obstructed the right lanes on the 57 freeway in San Dimas and, as of now, seems to be a solo incident.
His vehicle drove off the road and up an embankment. From there, it flipped on its roof. Priem was found dead at the scene, and it's under further investigation.
“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, the crew union that Priem was a part of, said in a statement. “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.”
IATSE international president Matthew Loeb said that the union was “shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss.” Also, he added, “We are working to support our member's family, their fellow members and colleagues. Saftey 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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Nina Moskol, a grip and IATSE Local 80 member, said she worked with her colleague on Thursday prior to the accident. At that time, they were discussing the future and other topics.
“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,” she wrote on a social media post. “He was so jazzed about what he had learned about retiring, he wanted to teach the ins and outs of retirement at the local.”
She added he was “a wonderful man, charismatic, vibrant, connected to people on shows everywhere.” Additionally, she called him a “writer's dream of a working man.”
Along with 9-1-1, Priem worked on shows like The Company You Keep, S.W.A.T., Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Christmas With the Kranks, Ghost World, and Star Trek.
Tuesday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said, “Our hearts go out to Rico Priem's family, friends, and all of those who are impacted by this tragic loss of life.”
Production can be grueling, with long hours and hard work. Hopefully, the tragic death of Priem will help the unions and studios improve working conditions across the board in Hollywood.
