Anton Yelchin, the “Star Trek” actor who portrayed Ensign Pavel Chekov in the rebooted movie series, died tragically in 2016 when his SUV rolled down his driveway and trapped him against a security gate.
His parents have now reached a settlement with the makers of the SUV model Jeep Grand Cherokee.
A confidential settlement between Victor and Irina Yelchin and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which manufactures the Jeep Grand Cherokee that crushed Yelchin, was filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court. The details of the settlement were not disclosed.“Anton Yelchin was crushed and lingered alive for some time, trapped and suffocating until his death,” the lawsuit states.Yelchin’s family attorney, Gary Dordick, and Yelchin’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, could not be immediately reached for comment. Fiat Chrysler told the Associated Press in a statement that it is “pleased that we’ve reached an amicable resolution in this matter” and that the car company continues to “extend our deepest sympathies to the Yelchin family for their tragic loss.”
Series producer J.J. Abrams, indicates that there will be no replacing the actor.
“I would say there’s no replacing him,” said Abrams. “There’s no recasting. I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better.” Yelchin played Chekov in 2009’s series reboot, Star Trek, and its two sequels, 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness and … Star Trek Beyond.
Yelchin, who was 27 at the time of his death, had been driving a car that came under scrutiny for its gear system.
In 2016, TMZ reported, citing the Los Angeles Police Department, that when Yelchin’s friends discovered his body, they found the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee idling in neutral.The automotive blog Jalopnik in 2016 reported that the Jeep was among one of 1.1 million vehicles that had been recalled about two months before Yelchin’s death because of a confusing gear shifter that could cause the car to roll away unexpectedly.
While the full details of the settlement are confidential, there are indications the monies will be directed to a special foundation to honor the actor.
“The settlement will go to the Anton Yelchin Foundation and to the filming of a documentary on Anton’s life,” Yelchin’s publicist Jennifer Allen said in a statement to PEOPLE. “The mission of the Foundation is to empower and support young people engaged in creative arts who face career challenges due to debilitating disease or disability.”
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