Anton Yelchin Killed by Jeep Grand Cherokee Under Recall

div itemprop="articleBody" class="article">Santa Clara, CATwenty-seven-year-old Star Trek actor, Anton Yelchin, died this week in an accident involving his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. According to the coroner’s report, Yelchin's death resulted from blunt force asphyxia after his Jeep rolled backwards, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence in his driveway.

Most 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees, like the one that killed Yelchin, were recalled earlier this year due to an alleged defect in the gear shifters. They are being recalled because the gear shifters have confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly.

The recall involves over 800,000 Jeep vehicles and was prompted by over 40 reports of accidents. An investigation by FCA US and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found some drivers have exited their vehicles without first selecting “PARK.”

Most 2015 model year Grand Cherokees were part of a global recall of 1.1 million vehicles announced by Fiat Chrysler in April.