Production crewmember dies in crash after working 14-hour overnight shift, union says
A man working on an episodic television series died in a car crash on the 57 Freeway after working a 14-hour overnight shift, according to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
The victim was involved in a crash on the northbound side of the freeway in San Dimas around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, California Highway Patrol confirmed.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the man was 66-year-old Rico Priem, who worked primarily as a grip on several high-profile productions including “Six Feet Under,” “Star Trek” and the 2021 Marvel film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
The CHP crash report indicates that Priem was driving his Toyota Highlander on the 57 Freeway when his vehicle went off the roadway and up an embankment before overturning and coming to a rest on its roof.
Priem was pronounced dead at the scene. He was working on the ABC series “9-1-1,” according to fellow filmmakers.
“I think Rico had about 30 to 35 years under his belt,” said DeJon Ellis, an IATSE union representative. “He was actually preparing to retire which adds more to the tragedy that he was so close to being out of the industry.”
Ellis said he knows all too well the long hours crews must work to make television sets come to life.
“You add that on top of L.A. traffic and people living farther out of the city center, it’s a recipe for disaster, sometimes, when you compound with the extra hours,” he said.
Ellis said the crash happened just 20 minutes after wrapping that night and Priem had worked around 28 hours in just two days. Although Priem is a seasoned professional and grip on set, the job is still a grueling one, Ellis noted.
“There has been a pressure to do more in less time, so now our people are expected to not only work 12, but 14, 15, 16 hours day after day,” Ellis explained.
CHP is handling the investigation and while it’s unclear what caused the deadly crash, multiple factors, including alcohol are still being investigated.
Ellis, however, said alcohol as a factor is hard to believe.
“The show that he was on, it’s very hard physically and you don’t have time to drink,” Ellis said. “And if you were drinking, you wouldn’t be able to perform. He was working a 14-hour day and we’re not drinking on set. That’s not part of the culture.”
Long shifts and late-night commutes are not uncommon in the film industry, and IATSE, which is negotiating with the major film studios on a new labor contract, says those issues are among the sticking points in those talks.
Matthew Loeb, the union’s president, offered condolences to Priem’s family and friends and added that crewmember safety in the workplace is a paramount concern for union leadership.
“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,” Loeb said in a release posted to the IATSE website.
Loeb said the union was actively working to support Priem’s family and help colleagues navigate the tragic events.
He urged the union’s more than 170,000 members to immediately report unsafe work conditions to the IATSE Safety Hotline.
20th Television, the company that produces “9-1-1,” said in a statement provided to the L.A. Times: ”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.”
The deadly crash remains under investigation by the CHP and anyone with information is asked to contact Office Jones of the Baldwin Park Station at 626-338-1164.
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