Rico Priem, a 66-year-old Hollywood grip working on ABC’s 9-1-1, died on May 11, 2024, after his Toyota Highlander crashed on the northbound 57 Freeway near Via Verde Drive in San Dimas, California. Later medical-examiner reporting said he suffered sudden cardiac dysfunction and classified the manner of death as natural.
Rico Priem, a longtime Hollywood grip and member of IATSE Local 80, died on May 11, 2024, after his Toyota Highlander crashed on the northbound 57 Freeway near Via Verde Drive in San Dimas, California. Priem, 66, had been working on ABC’s 9-1-1 and had completed an overnight production shift shortly after 4 a.m.
Later reporting that cited the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Priem suffered sudden cardiac dysfunction at the time of the incident. The medical finding identified cardiomegaly—an enlarged heart—with left-ventricular hypertrophy, and classified the manner of death as natural. That finding is important because early coverage focused on the freeway crash, the length of Priem’s shift and a preliminary investigation in which alcohol was described as a suspected factor.
What happened to Rico Priem?
Priem was working at a 9-1-1 location in Pomona, California. According to contemporaneous reporting, he finished a 14-hour overnight shift shortly after 4 a.m. on May 11. A union leader said it was Priem’s second consecutive 14-hour production day.
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While driving home in a Toyota Highlander, Priem’s vehicle left the northbound 57 Freeway near Via Verde Drive in San Dimas. The vehicle traveled up an embankment and overturned onto its roof. Priem was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initial accounts said investigators did not yet know why the vehicle had left the roadway. A Los Angeles Times report said California Highway Patrol officials indicated that alcohol was a suspected factor at that stage of the crash investigation. That early investigative detail should not be presented as the final cause of Priem’s death.
The later medical-examiner finding
Later reporting citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Priem experienced sudden cardiac dysfunction when the crash occurred. The report listed cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, together with left-ventricular hypertrophy, a thickening of the heart’s left-ventricle muscle. The manner of death was classified as natural.
The most accurate summary is that Priem suffered a fatal cardiac event while driving and that the vehicle crash followed or accompanied that event. The available reporting confirms that the crash happened after his overnight shift, but it does not establish that fatigue caused the cardiac event. It would therefore be inaccurate to say simply that he died from exhaustion or drowsy driving.
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It is also inaccurate to state that alcohol caused his death. Alcohol was mentioned in early reporting as a suspected factor in the crash investigation; the later cause-of-death reporting identified sudden cardiac dysfunction.
Who was Rico Priem?
Priem was a veteran grip, a film-and-television crew professional responsible for work involving equipment, lighting support and the physical demands of a production set. His credits included Six Feet Under, Deadwood, American History X, S.W.A.T., Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Star Trek.
Colleagues described him as skilled, warm and well-liked. Nina Moskol, one of his colleagues, said Priem had been close to retirement and had hoped to spend more time with his wife and grandnephew. She urged crew members to drive carefully, get a hotel room when necessary and leave the road if they were too tired to continue.
How did the industry respond?
IATSE Local 80 expressed shock and said it was supporting Priem’s family, friends and colleagues, as well as any investigation. The union emphasized that production workers should be able to travel to and from work safely and should not be placed in unsafe circumstances while earning a living.
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20th Television, speaking on behalf of the studio and 9-1-1, offered condolences to Priem’s family and friends. Angela Bassett also acknowledged the loss publicly. When the cast and crew returned to work, they gathered to remember Priem.
Those statements document grief and concern, not a legal finding that 9-1-1 or 20th Television caused Priem’s death or was responsible for the crash. The reporting reviewed for this account does not establish such a finding.
Why the death became part of the production-safety debate
Priem’s death intensified an existing discussion about long production days, overnight schedules, commute time and the protections available to film and television workers. The central concern is not only how long a worker is on set, but also how much time remains for sleep, travel and recovery before the next call.
IATSE Local 80’s published safety FAQ lists a standard daily turnaround of 10 hours, with shorter turnaround periods for certain categories of work. It also lists a 54-hour weekend rest period after five consecutive workdays, subject to exceptions. These provisions describe negotiated or recognized scheduling protections; they do not determine what caused Priem’s medical event.
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The 2024 IATSE basic-agreement memorandum also amended so-called Golden Hours provisions for covered locals, including Local 80. The agreement distinguishes between consecutive hours and, for certain television-production employees, hours actually worked. It provides enhanced compensation after specified thresholds. Premium pay can discourage or compensate for especially demanding schedules, but the existence of overtime or Golden Hours pay does not by itself prove that a particular schedule caused a death.
A worker-oriented 2024 contract checklist interpreted the agreement as improving some overnight protections, including hotel-room requirements after specified amounts of worked time. It also identified limits involving studio-zone rules, exceptions and the absence of a universal shuttle requirement. Because that checklist is an advocacy-oriented interpretation, the agreement itself is the appropriate reference for operative contract language. The checklist is useful for understanding why workers continued to raise concerns about the gap between formal protections and the practical realities of getting home after an overnight call.
What can—and cannot—be concluded
- Established: Priem was a 66-year-old grip working on 9-1-1, completed a reported 14-hour overnight shift on May 11, 2024, and died after his vehicle crashed in San Dimas.
- Established by later reporting: The medical examiner identified sudden cardiac dysfunction, cardiomegaly and left-ventricular hypertrophy, and classified the manner of death as natural.
- Reported during the initial investigation: The reason the vehicle left the freeway was initially unknown, while alcohol was described as a suspected factor by CHP officials in early coverage.
- Not established: The available reporting does not prove that fatigue caused the cardiac event, that alcohol caused Priem’s death, or that the production or studio was legally responsible.
Priem’s death remains both a personal loss to his family and colleagues and a reminder of the risks production workers can face after long overnight schedules. The medical finding should guide the account of what happened, while the circumstances of his final shift help explain why the incident prompted renewed concern about turnaround time, overnight work and safe travel home.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Rico Priem’s car accident?
Rico Priem died on May 11, 2024, after his Toyota Highlander left the northbound 57 Freeway near Via Verde Drive in San Dimas, California, traveled up an embankment and overturned. He was driving home after working on ABC’s 9-1-1.
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What was Rico Priem’s cause of death?
Later reporting citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Priem suffered sudden cardiac dysfunction. The report identified cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, with left-ventricular hypertrophy, and classified the manner of death as natural.
Did alcohol cause Rico Priem’s death?
No. Early reporting said alcohol was a suspected factor in the crash investigation, but later cause-of-death reporting identified sudden cardiac dysfunction. The available reporting does not support saying that alcohol caused his death.
Was Rico Priem’s death caused by exhaustion or drowsy driving?
Priem reportedly completed a 14-hour overnight production shift shortly after 4 a.m. on May 11, 2024. A union leader said it was his second consecutive 14-hour production day. However, the available evidence does not establish that fatigue caused his fatal cardiac event.
The Bottom Line
Rico Priem died on May 11, 2024, after his vehicle crashed while he was driving home from work on 9-1-1. Later reporting citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner attributed the death to sudden cardiac dysfunction associated with an enlarged heart and classified it as natural. The crash followed a reported 14-hour overnight shift, but the available evidence does not establish that fatigue caused the cardiac event or that the production was legally responsible.
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