Anton Yelchin's parents suing Fiat Chrysler over Star Trek actor's death

Viktor and Irina Yelchin are also seeking control of their son's estate, worth almost $1.4m, after it emerged that he did not leave a will

Viktor and Irina Yelchin were performers in the Leningrad Ice Ballet before moving from Russia to the US when their son was six months old ((Rex Features))

The parents of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin are planning to sue the manufacturer of the car that killed him in a freak accident earlier this year. Yelchin, who was 27, died on 19 June after his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled towards him on the steep driveway at his home in Studio City, Los Angeles, crushing him between a brick pillar and a security gate.

Shortly after his death, a class-action lawsuit was filed against carmaker Fiat Chrysler, claiming the model has a faulty gear shifter, which fools drivers into thinking the car is in park when in fact it is in neutral. The 2015 Cherokee was part of a global recall of more than a million vehicles issued by the company in April. The gear shifter problem had reportedly caused 266 accidents and injured almost 70 people as of late June.

According to TMZ, Viktor and Irina Yelchin are filing lawsuits against the manufacturer, the car retail chain AutoNation, where their son is thought to have bought the SUV, and ZF North America, the makers of the gear shifter. The couple are seeking punitive damages for the “wrongful death of their son due to significant defects in the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee,” they said in a press release.

Yelchin’s parents are also filing for control of the estate of the late actor, who was not married, had no children and did not leave a will. He was worth almost $1.4m at the time of his death, People reported.

Born in Russia, Yelchin's family moved to the US when he was six months old. Viktor and Irina Yelchin had both been performers in the Leningrad Ice Ballet. As well as starring as Chekov in the three most recent Star Trek films, the 27-year-old also played the lead in the recent, acclaimed thriller Green Room. In July, his parents published an advert in the Hollywood Reporter, thanking well-wishers for their support.

“To all of you who have sent flowers and gifts,” they wrote, “for your condolences and kind words and to all who came to celebrate the life of our dear son, Anton. We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love for our son. He would be surprised by how many hearts and souls he touched."