“Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin received a Jeep recall notice warning of the vehicle’s “rollaway risk” seven days after he was crushed by his own vehicle and killed, his family’s attorney said at a press conference Tuesday.
Yelchin died after being pinned between a brick mailbox and a security gate, according to Variety. (RELATED: ‘Star Trek’ Actor’s Parents To File Lawsuit Over Car Accident Death)
(photo: REUTERS/Tony Gentile )
“The safety recall was way too little and way too late,” the family attorney Gary Dordick said. “They should have never used this device.” (RELATED: ‘Star Trek’ Star Dead At 27 Following Car Accident)
Yelchin’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, ZF North America and Auto Nation.
“He was our only son,” Viktor Yelchin said. “It is against nature when a parent buries his own child.”
“He never cared about being a star,” Irina Yelchin said, wiping tears from her eyes. “He loved life very much. His death is gonna save some other life.”
According to the attorney, the recall notice warned that drivers who think their car is in park may be injured if they attempt to get out of the car while the car is on. In the notice addressed to Yelchin, the manufacturers promised to add an “Auto Park” feature to the car to fix the issue.
There are close to 700 complaints over the same issue, including more than 260 accidents and 68 of those have involved injuries.