On the early morning of Saturday, May 11, “9-1-1” grip Rico Priem died in a car accident while returning home from filming the procedural. Priem had just finished his second consecutive 14-hour shift when he left the location shoot in Pomona, California. Less than half an hour later, his car was on its roof on the freeway. An experienced grip who worked on movies like “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and shows like “Deadwood,” “Six Feet Under,” and “Major Crimes,” Priem was 66 years old and — according to colleague Nina Moskol — close to retirement. “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,” read a statement released by “9-1-1” production company 20th Television (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Meanwhile, the statement from Priem’s union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was equally respectful, but it didn’t hide that they’ll be looking for answers from ABC due to the lengthy work days that preceded the fatal accident. “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,” the IATSE statement said. “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.”
Unsafe on-set conditions have cost lives before
“9-1-1” was canceled by Fox but found a new home on ABC in 2023, and has aired on the network since 2024. While the exact conditions that led to Rico Priem’s death are still unclear, it seems likely that people will look into the way the procedural drama’s filming is handled, especially since this isn’t the first high-profile filming crew death the industry has seen in recent years.
The “Rust” shooting controversy started when a prop weapon used by actor Alec Baldwin in October 2021 unexpectedly fired a projectile that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. The tragedy, investigation, and ensuing lawsuits have continued to make waves into 2024. While Priem’s death happened outside work and isn’t a case of an actor who killed people on set, the tragedy and the long work days that preceded may very well prompt the authorities and IATSE to ask the makers of “9-1-1” quite a few questions.
The situation around the story is still developing, but count on Looper to keep you informed about potential important developments.
