UPDATE: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has released a statement following Anton Yelchin’s tragic accident. The corporation says that it is too early to blame its vehicles for the actor’s death.
“FCA US extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Yelchin,” the Michigan-based company told TheWrap in a statement. “The company will be conducting a thorough investigation of this tragic incident. It is premature to speculate on its cause at this time.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Anton Yelchin‘s car, which crushed him to death on Sunday, June 19, may have been recalled for faulty transmissions, CBS reports.
According to the site, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was investigating possible issues with 2014 and 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees last month. In April, 1.1 million of the vehicles were recalled because the new electronic gearshift, or e-shift, made it difficult to put the car into park, drive or reverse.
As previously reported, the Star Trek actor died at the age of 27 over the weekend when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled back and pinned him against his brick mailbox pillar and security fence around 1:10 a.m. The incident took place at his home in L.A.’s Studio City neighborhood.
“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning,” his rep told Us Weekly in a statement. “His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.”
According to Lt. Larry Dietz, Yelchin didn’t properly put his car in park on the night of the tragedy.
In March, Gary Titus — a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee lease owner — revealed the scary time his vehicle was stuck in the wrong gear.
“I got out of the Jeep. I thought it was in park and it was in reverse still,” he told CBS. “And as I walked back towards the garage, I noticed it was moving a little bit and I didn’t want to ruin the car after having it just for a few months so I got between the car and the garage and I was able to yell for my son and stop the car at the same time.”
Consumer Reports‘ deputy auto editor, Jon Linkov, further explained how dangerous the situation could be. “If you leave it in drive or you leave it in neutral and you open the door or you press the button to turn off the vehicle, it still stays in that mode,” he told CBS. “It doesn’t go directly to park.”
