Richard Priem, who also went by Rico, was killed early Saturday morning in a highway crash.
A crew member on 9-1-1 was killed in a car accident after working a late 14-hour shift on the procedural drama.
Richard Priem, who also went by Rico, worked as a grip on the show and was a member of the IATSE Local 80 crew union. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which was first to report the news, he died in a fatal highway crash early Saturday morning following an overnight shoot on location in Pomona, California.
"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," a representative for 20th Television wrote in a statement to ET.
Priem's death was addressed in a social media post by one of his colleagues, Nina Moskol, who said that they had just worked together on Thursday night.
"He was on the cusp of retirement, with his paperwork filed," the tribute stated. "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."
Moskol noted that "the two most dangerous parts of our days are getting to work, and getting home. Please stay safe out there."
ET has reached out to ABC, the California Highway Patrol, and Priem's local IATSE chapter for more information.
According to a report from TVLine, CHP officials said the accident occurred around 4:27 a.m. The report states that Priem's Toyota Highlander "left the roadway for unknown reasons, went up an embankment and flipped onto its roof."
Priem was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene and the cause of the accident is under 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 said in a statement to THR. "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."
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