Star Trek Actor's Fatal Accident May Involve Jeep Recall

The sudden and tragic death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin took social media by surprise last week. The accident may be connected to a recall on his Jeep Wrangler, which demonstrates how important it is not to ignore recall notices.

On Sunday, June 19, 2016, publicist Jennifer Allen announced:

“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.”

As more details came to light, the accident turned from routine to bizarre. Yelchin was on his way to meet his friends for rehearsal when he was pinned against a brick mailbox pillar by his own car. The vehicle appeared to have rolled backward down his steep driveway, struck and killed him.

Anton Yelchin, age 27, was best known for his role as Anton Checkov in the new Star Trek movies in 2009 and 2013. He will also appear posthumously in the upcoming Star Treck Beyond, which hits theaters on July 22, 2016, and Thoroughbred, which is expected in 2017 and had just finished filming at the time of his death.

The accident left many people wondering how a person gets killed by his own vehicle. The police have not yet released its report of what caused the accident. However, Yelchin's Jeep Cherokee was part of a recent recall by Fiat Chrysler.

In April, Fiat Chrysler filed a recall notice with federal safety regulators. The recall affected 1.1 million vehicles, including 2012-2014 Dodge Chargers and 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs. The vehicle's gear shifter makes it hard to tell what gear the car is in. After the user puts the car into gear, the shifter snaps back to its original central position. This can make it hard to tell if the car is in park or neutral.

Even though Chrysler knows about the problem and has filed a notice, it hadn't told the public. Official recall notices have not gone out because Fiat Chrysler was waiting for replacement parts to become available so they could start making repairs. But while the public waits in the dark, accidents keep happening. The Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the defect has resulted in 117 crashes, including 28 injuries. If Yelchin's death is in fact connected to the gear shifter defect, his will be the first fatal accident tied to the recall notice.

When freak accidents happen, they can often be tracked to manufacturing defects. Anton Yelchin was not the first, nor will he be the last to lose his life because of a problem with a vehicle. At The Liblang Law Firm, PC, lemon law lawyer Dani K. Liblang helps the families of accident victims fight back against negligent auto manufacturers. If you or someone you love has been hurt by a vehicle defect, contact The Liblang Law Firm, PC, for a free consultation.