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Anton Yelchin’s?? Parents Write Letter Thanking Fans For Their Support

By Stephen Jordan
Published on: 07:27 PST, Jul 18, 2016

Following the tragic and unexpected death of Anton Yelchin on June 19, the actor’s parents, Irina and Viktor Yelchin, took out a full page in the Hollywood Reporter to express their thanks and gratitude for all of the support they have been given during this difficult time, reports E! Online. In the ad, they also mention how shocked Anton would be to see so many people affected by his death.

“Thank you to all of you who have sent flowers and gifts, for your condolences and kind words and to all who came to celebrate the life of our dear son, Anton. We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love for him. He would be surprised at how many hearts and souls he touched. Thank you very much.”

Anton Yelchin was 27-years-old when his car rolled backwards on his driveway, leaving him pinned against a security fence and a brick mailbox, according to authorities. The Star Trek Beyond actor was on his way to a rehearsal, where he was going to meet up with some of his friends. Once they realized he didn’t show up, they went to his home and discovered his body with the car engine still running.

The vehicle, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was previously recalled because of a potentially dangerous design flaw. It was impossible to tell whether or not the car was in park until the vehicle began rolling. Anton seemingly stepped out of the car just before it started rolling backwards.

“This is the first fatality we’re aware of that may be related to this safety defect,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

As TMZ reported, Yelchin’s death was “rapid” after the vehicle had him pinned, with the cause of death being blunt traumatic asphyxia, according to the death certificate.

“Drivers erroneously concluding that their vehicle’s transmission is in the PARK position may be struck by the vehicle and injured if they attempt to get out of the vehicle while the engine is running and the parking brake is not engaged,” a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall report says.

It’s unclear whether or not Anton Yelchin was aware of the recall or the fact that the Jeep Grand Cherokee had this defect. The actor’s death ignited a $5 million a class-action lawsuit from Jeep owners against Grand Cherokee manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Apparently, a defective gear shift had been the cause of over 300 deaths, including Anton Yelchin. His Jeep was one of 1.1 million vehicles that were recalled by FCA.

His Star Trek Beyond co-stars Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, and John Cho, along with other celebrities, took to social media and paid tribute to the young actor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG2Q5RlLi7x/

Paramount Pictures made an official statement to E! News regarding Anton Yelchin’s death.

“All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.”

The Russian-born actor played the role of Pavel Chekov in the recent Star Trek reboot films, with the latest entry, Star Trek Beyond, hitting theaters this Friday, July 22. This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the original Star Trek television series.

The third entry in this recent cinematic reboot finds the crew of the USS Enterprise becoming stranded on an unknown alien planet, encountering a new deadly threat.

In addition to Star Trek Beyond, Anton Yelchin has two other films that are currently slated to be released in 2016, according to his IMDb page, along with one in 2017.

[Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]

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