The parents of late Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin, who was only 27 years old when he was crushed to death by his own Jeep Grand Cherokee in June, are planning on suing car manufacturer Fiat Chrysler.
Viktor and Irena Yelchin will file a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that the Jeep, which was under recall at the time, had a faulty gear shift.
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Yelchin was killed by his own car as it rolled down his driveway, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Los Angeles. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police are not sure why he was behind it when it started rolling.
In addition to suing Fiat Chrysler, the Yelchins are filing lawsuits against AutoNation and ZF North America, the manufacturers of the gear shift.
There have been over 700 complaints about the faulty gear shift, including 266 accidents. Fiat Chrysler, AutoNation and ZF North America have all refused to comment on the pending lawsuit.
Since young Yelchin died without a will in place, the couple is also filing for control of the late actor’s estate, worth an estimated $1.4 million USD.
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The filing states Yelchin left behind at least $641,000 in personal property and had $731,000 in equity in his home.
Yelchin’s parents posted a thank-you letter in industry publication The Hollywood Reporter to express their gratitude for all the support they’ve received.
“To all of you who have sent flowers and gifts, for your condolences and kind words and to all who came to celebrate the life of our dear son, Anton,” reads the letter, “We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love for our son. He would be surprised by how many hearts and souls he touched.”
Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn’t very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.
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The discipline that Yelchin learned from his athlete parents translated into his work as an actor, which he treated with seriousness and professionalism, said Klinger, the director.
He drew on his Russian roots for his role as the heavily accented navigator Chekov in the Star Trek films, his most high-profile to date.
With files from The Associated Press
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