LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Anton Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen confirmed.
Jenny Hauser, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, released a statement on Sunday saying the collision "was the result of the victim's own car rolling backwards down his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence."
"The victim was on his way to meet his friends for rehearsal. And when he didn’t show up, his friends went to his house, where they found him deceased by his car," Hauser said. "It appeared (Yelchin) had momentarily exited his car leaving it in the driveway."
Hauser said that Yelchin was pinned behind the car "causing the trauma which led to his death."
He started small with roles in indie films and various television shows, before breaking out in films like the crime thriller "Alpha Dog" and the teenage comedy "Charlie Bartlett." His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films - the third of which, "Star Trek Beyond" comes out in July.
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. Yelchin's family requests privacy at this time
