Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has stated they will now be investigating into the death of 27-year-old Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin. The Russian-born actor was killed on Saturday in Los Angeles when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, that Yelchin likely believed was in park, rolled backwards pinning him against a fence.
Eric Mayne, spokesperson for Fiat Chrysler, stated that the company would conduct a “thorough investigation” into the accident, and that it is “premature to speculate on its cause at this time.”
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While Mayne thinks it is premature to speculate, the coroner of the investigation has confirmed that Yelchin died from “blunt traumatic asphyxia” from being crushed by the car. The car was indeed part of a recall, but it is unsure as to whether the vehicle was at fault for the accident.
Yelchin is the only person to have died from the issue with the vehicles, but Reuters reports that “Fiat Chrysler in April recalled more than 1.1 million cars and SUVs worldwide because vehicles may roll away after drivers exit, an issue linked to 41 injuries, 212 crashes and 308 reports of property damage, though it had no immediate fix for owners.”
Fiat Chrysler has mentioned that some drivers “may be confused by the electronic gearshift system,” because it does not move in the way a traditional gearshift system moves. The electronic system “moves more like a joystick than along a gate path like conventional gear selectors.”
As Fiat Chrysler begins to investigate the cause of the accident, many of Yelchin’s fans and colleagues have been showing their tremendous support and paying their respects to the late actor. People such as JJ Abrams, Mark Hamill, and Tom Hiddleston have all made touching, heartfelt comments on how Yelchin impacted their lives.
Also, one fan made an incredibly moving tribute to Yelchin with a sketch that is going viral.
