9-1-1 crew member Rico Priem, who died in a single-vehicle crash in May, suffered from sudden cardiac arrest at the time of the accident, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Priem had cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) with left ventricular hypertrophy, according to Deadline. His cause of death was classified as “natural.”
Priem died on May 11. The California Highway Patrol previously told TVLine that the driver — who had just finished a 14-hour night shift in Pomona — was driving north in his Toyota Highlander on Highway 57 at Via Verde Drive in San Dimas when his vehicle left the roadway for unknown reasons, went up an embankment and flipped onto its roof.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the accident, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) issued a statement saying, “We are absolutely committed to the safety and well-being of all our members and extend our deepest condolences to the family of the member. Workers have a reasonable expectation that they can go to work and return home safely. No one should be put in an unsafe situation while trying to make a living.”
Meanwhile, a statement from 20th Television said, “On behalf of the studio and everyone at 9-1-1, we extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Rico Priem.”
Three days after Priem’s death, 9-1-1 lead actress Angela Bassett spoke about his passing in an interview at Disney’s annual Upfront event, telling Entertainment Tonight, “The studio, 9-1-1, all of us send our deepest condolences to his friends and family. It’s just a very, very sad moment. We’re all in shock about it, for sure.” She also revealed that the cast and crew came together to remember Priem when they returned to work that week: “We thought it was important to come together and… do whatever we could [for] his family, because we know we’re going to miss him, but we know they’re going to miss him even more.”
