Anton Yelchin dead: Model of jeep that killed Star Trek actor was recalled for 'roll away risk'

'The Company will be conducting a thorough investigation of this tragic incident'

Lieutenant Larry Dietz says it appeared Yelchin had not properly parked his car (Getty Images)

The death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin has raised potential safety concerns about the Jeep that killed him.

Yelchin, who is best known for playing the character Chekov in two Star Trek movies, was killed by his own car at his home in Los Angeles.

Police said the 27-year-old actor stepped out of his car on the steep driveway of his home and the car rolled backwards, pinning him against a brick postbox pillar and a security fence. He died shortly afterwards at 1am on Sunday (19 June).

Los Angeles police told CBS News the vehicle was a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Lieutenant Larry Dietz said it appeared Yelchin had not properly parked his car, adding it was “just one of those freak accidents”.

Some versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee were recalled by manufacturers in April due to its gear-shift mechanism, which caused drivers to exit the car without ensuring the handbrake was in place. It is not yet clear whether the version of the car that Yelchin owned had this flaw.

Fiat Chrysler recalled approximately 1.1 million cars after reports owners were seeing their cars roll away. 811,000 vehicles were in the US while the rest were in Canada, Mexico and places outside the NAFTA region.

In a statement sent to The Independent, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said: “FCA US extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr Yelchin. The Company will be conducting a thorough investigation of this tragic incident. It is premature to speculate on its cause at this time.”

In the original press release published in April, Fiat Chrysler conceded some of the measures were insufficient in stopping drivers from exiting their vehicles without selecting park.

“Gear-selection is conveyed to the driver by multiple sets of indicator lights, not gear-selector position, and unless due care is taken, drivers may draw erroneous conclusions about the status of their vehicles,” it reads.

“The vehicles also deliver warning chimes and alert messages if their driver-side doors are opened while their engines are still running and “PARK” is not engaged. However, investigation suggested these measures may be insufficient to deter some drivers from exiting their vehicles without selecting “PARK,” so FCA US will enhance the warnings and transmission-shift strategy on these vehicles.”

There was no evidence of equipment failure in the vehicles which were inspected in the recall.