'Star Trek' Star Anton Yelchin Dead at 27 (UPDATE)

Anton Yelchin, best known for his role as Chekov in the latest "Star Trek" films, is reportedly dead at 27 following a car accident.

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UPDATE 06/24/16: Following Anton Yelchin's tragic death, a $5 million class-action lawsuit has been filed against Jeep Grand Cherokee manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The suit alleges that the company intentionally covered up a "dangerously defective" gear shifter in the vehicle, Vulturereports. The complaint, which was filed by three plaintiffs Thursday and can be read in full here, cites Yelchin's death and more than 300 other similar incidents as proof of their claims.​

UPDATE 06/20/16: Anton Yelchin was reportedly driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee model that had recently been recalled due to a "design flaw," according toPeople. The flaw made it possible for the vehicle to roll after being parked. In a statement to CBC, a Fiat Chrysler spokesperson said it was "too early" to speculate on the cause of the tragedy but they were currently investigating the crash.

See original story from 06/19/16 below.

Anton Yelchin, the Russian-born actor who's perhaps best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the 2009 reboot Star Trek and it's sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, is reportedly dead following a car accident, according to The Associated Press. He was 27.

TMZreports Yelchin was killed when he was pinned between his own car and a brick mailbox attached to the security gate at his Los Angeles home. Police still aren't sure why he'd exited the car, but it appears the vehicle rolled backwards down the driveway, crushing him.

Friends discovered him around 1 a.m. Sunday after he didn't show up for a rehearsal. Yelchin's vehicle was reportedly still running and in neutral.

Yelchin will appear in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond, which comes out July 22. Among Yelchin's other work was his starring role in the 2013 film Odd Thomas, in which he plays a clairvoyant cook with supernatural powers.

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There was the title role in 2007's Charlie Bartlett, a coming-of-age dramatic comedy about a kid who gets kicked out of private school and becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist at his new, public high school.

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And he played Kyle Reese, the resistance soldier under the protection of John Connor (Christian Bale), who has been targeted by Skynet in Terminator Salvation.

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Probably his most acclaimed performance ever, though, was his acting alongside Justin Timberlake as Zack, the young kidnapping victim in Alpha Dog, which was loosely based on a real-life murder case.​

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Yelchin was born an only child in St. Petersburg, Russia to parents who were professional figure skaters, his bio says. Yelchin's first acting credit was a part on the NBC medical drama ER when he was 11 years old, according to IMDB, though his first  breakthrough part was working alongside Anthony Hopkins in the 2001 film Hearts in Atlantis.

Aside from the upcoming Star Trek movie, Yelchin has roles in four other completed films that have upcoming releases.

 

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