Parents of ‘Star Trek’ actor suing Fiat Chrysler over son’s death
LOS ANGELES — The parents of actor Anton Yelchin will file a wrongful death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler on Tuesday, their attorney announced.
The “Star Trek” actor was killed June 19 when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backward down the driveway at his Studio City home and pinned him against a brick pillar. He was 27 years old.
Yelchin’s vehicle was under recall, after Fiat Chrysler and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received numerous complaints about confusion caused by the gear shifter. Some drivers have exited the vehicle believing the vehicle was in park when in fact it was in neutral, leading to “rollaway” crashes. The NHTSA is aware of nearly 700 complaints about the issue, including 266 accidents, of which 68 involved injuries. Yelchin’s crash is still being investigated, but is believed to be the only fatality related to the issue.
Yelchin’s parents, Viktor and Irina Yelchin, will file suit against Fiat Chrysler as well as retail chain AutoNation and ZF North America, which manufactured the gear shifter. Yelchin’s attorney, Gary Dordick, is expected to announce the lawsuit at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
