The cause of death of a beloved 9-1-1 crew member who died last month while driving home after a 14-hour work day has been revealed.
Rico Priem, 66, who worked as a grip on the ABC drama, was killed by a heart attack, and not by drowsy driving, according to an autopsy report obtained by Variety on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Priem died from ‘sudden cardiac dysfunction’ and found no evidence of fatal traumatic injuries.
Additionally, the toxicology report showed no presence of alcohol or other drugs.
Priem had wrapped work on 9-1-1 at 4:06 a.m. on May 11 and headed home but flipped his Toyota Highlander in San Dimas, CA about 20 minutes later.
The cause of death of beloved 9-1-1 crew member Rico Priem, who died last month while driving home after a 14-hour work day, has been revealed
Rico Priem, 66, who worked as a grip on the ABC drama, was killed by a heart attack, and not by drowsy driving, according to an autopsy report obtained by Variety on Tuesday
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The longtime grip and member of Local 80 had TV credits that included Major Crimes, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under.
According to a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $60,000, he was nearing retirement when he passed away.
Three days after Priem’s death, 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett paid an emotional tribute.
Bassett, 65, who has played Sergeant Athena Grant-Nash on the show since 2018 told Entertainment Tonight: ‘It was just a very, very sad moment. We’re all rocked by it, certainly.
The star said the cast and crew had united to pay tribute to Priem, saying: ‘We just had to take a moment, just take time and take a moment/
‘We thought it was important to come together and have whatever bit of service and offer whatever we can do to his family, ’cause we know that we’ll miss him but we know they will miss him even more.’
Fellow 9-1-1 grip Nina Moskol shared an emotional message to Priem on Sunday – revealing he was on the brink of retirement at the time of his death.
She 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.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Priem died from ‘sudden cardiac dysfunction’ and found no evidence of fatal traumatic injuries
Priem had wrapped work on 9-1-1 at 4:06 a.m. on May 11 and headed home but flipped his Toyota Highlander in San Dimas, CA about 20 minutes later
Three days after Priem’s death, 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett paid an emotional tribute
Aisha Hinds, who plays Henrietta wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: ‘ Words….ever insufficient…none able to carry the harrowing heartbreak reverberating through our 9-1-1 family’
The cast of 9-1-1 are pictured – Oliver Stark, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kenneth Choi, Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Aisha Hinds, Gavin McHugh and Ryan Guzman
She urged: ‘Please stay safe out there. Grip safe. Drive safe. Get off the road if needed. Take the room.’
Aisha Hinds, who plays Henrietta wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: ‘Words….ever insufficient…none able to carry the harrowing heartbreak reverberating through our 9-1-1 family.
‘As the industry processes the passing of one of our invaluable and invested individuals—notably loyal, thus lauded and loved for his commitment to his craft and sharing the wisdom he’d gleaned from decades of working in this industry, hearts are heavy navigating feelings of grief and gratitude for the life of Rico Priem.’
‘Rico graced us with his presence and passion, before he passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday, May 11th It is the hope and the unspoken assumption that when we wrap a days work, we will see each other again to do it all over again the next day. His passing has stilled our hearts and signaled for more conversation and care in that area.’
