Anton Yelchin, 27, killed in freak car accident at his home in San Fernando, California

Apparently, according to authorities, the car was running and the vehicle was in neutral.  The drive way of his home is on a steep incline.  Law enforcement officials say they are not sure why Anton was out of his vehicle but no foul play is suspected and feel this is just a “freak accident”.

The friend visited the home after growing concerned when Yelchin failed to attend a planned rehearsal earlier in the evening.

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. 

He went on to star in films such as Hearts in Atlantis and Alpha Dog and shows such asThe Practice, Curb Your Enthusiasm andHuff before being cast as engineer Pavel Chekov, known as just Chekov, in the 2009 Star Trek reboot.

“Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends. Can’t say anything that conveys what this feels like,” tweeted Kat Dennings, who appeared with Yelchin in “Charlie Bartlett.”

Fiat Chrysler in April recalled more than 1.1 million cars and SUVs worldwide because vehicles may roll away after drivers exit, an issue linked to 41 injuries. The company had told owners it hoped to come up with a "permanent" remedy by the fourth quarter.

The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee that rolled backward down a driveway and killed the actor Anton Yelchin early Sunday was a model that Fiat Chrysler has recalled for a gearshift issue that has confused drivers, leading them to accidentally leave the car in neutral when they think it is safely in park.

Yelchin’s parents, Viktor and Irina Yelchin, will file suit against Fiat Chrysler as well as retail chain AutoNation and ZF North America, which manufactured the gear shifter.