Anton Yelchin's Parents To Sue Fiat Chrysler Over Jeep's Role In The Star Trek Actor's Death

The parents of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin are will file suit against Fiat Chrysler, E! News reports.

Earlier this year, the 27-year-old actor died when he was was pinned against a brick mailbox and security fence after his car automatically began to roll backwards. The Jeep Grand Cherokee had already been the subject of a recall at the time of the accident, according to multiple reports.

His family wants Fiat Chrysler, the manufacturer ZF North America and AutoNation to pay punitive damages for "the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects" in the vehicle.

"FCA US extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Yelchin," Fiat Chrysler said in a statement. "The Company is in contact with the authorities and is conducting a thorough investigation. It is premature to speculate on the cause of this tragedy."

The company has not acknowledged fault in the actor's death.

Besides three Star Trek movies (including the forthcoming Star Trek Beyond), Yelchin is best known in fanboy circles for his roles in Terminator Salvation, The Smurfs, and Alpha Dog. The actor also played the title roles in Huff and Charlie Bartlett.

Yelchin was born in the USSR and moved to the United States in 1989 after his parents were relocated as political refugees. His parents, Irina (née Korina) and Viktor Yelchin, were pair figure skaters who were stars of the Leningrad Ice Ballet for 15 years. They apparently qualified for the 1972 Olympics but Soviet Union did not permit them to participate. They both remain involved in figure skating as coaches and trainers. Yelchin's uncle is the children's author and painter Eugene Yelchin.

Yelchin's career started in the '90s, although he didn't find widespread acclaim until 2006's Alpha Dog, in which he played the victim of a kidnap-and-murder plot based loosely on a true story. He's also appeared in the horror films Fright Night and Odd Thomas. He has a number of projects in production or post-production as of this writing, including Trollhunters, We Don't Belong Here, and the pilot to Mr. Mercedes, a planned TV adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name.