John Cho, Yelchin’s Star Trek co-star, tweeted, “I loved Anton Yelchin so much”.
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The auto pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Studio City, according to Los Angeles police Officer Jenny Hosier.
Most consider the 2006 film Alpha Dogs to be his breakout film, and aside from the Star Trek films, Yelchin also had memorable turns in Terminator: Salvation (as Kyle Reese) and in Fright Night remake, as the young protagonist who must go up against the undead when a vampire moves in next door.
The spokesperson says the auto was a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee – the same model that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recalled in April after the vehicle was investigated for a possible transmission issue, an FCA official tells PEOPLE. NHSA urged the recall, which involved the gear shifters. Apparently “drivers mistakenly believed they had placed the vehicles in park before exiting”. Whether that contributed to Yelchin’s death hasn’t been determined.
Fiat Chrysler, which makes Jeeps, said in a statement Monday that it’s investigating and it’s premature to speculate on the cause of the crash.
“The company will be conducting a thorough investigation of this tragic incident”. It’s tragic and unfortunate, but it turns out this awful tragedy may have been caused by a design flaw in the vehicle. As of last April, Fiat Chrysler – which owns the Jeep brand – had received about 700 complaints about the issue, including 41 reports of resulting injuries. PHOTOS: Celebrities and notable figures who have recently passed away Investigators were looking into the position of Yelchin’s gear shift at the time of the accident, authorities said. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling. When he didn’t show up, the group came to his home and found him dead early Sunday.
Coroner’s officials ruled Yelchin’s death an accident after an autopsy. Yelchin’s death tragically cut short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were still getting to know. The third film in the series, “Star Trek Beyond”, comes out in July.
Yelchin had more than 60 acting credits, but when J.J. Abrams cast him in his 2009 “Star Trek” reboot, Yelchin reached a new level of recognition in Hollywood.
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An only child, Yelchin was born to professional figure skaters in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) in Russian Federation, who moved to the U.S. when he was still a baby. It offered sympathies to Yelchin’s friends and family.
