Star Trek Actor, Anton Yelchin, Killed By Own Car In Freak Accident

Anton Yelchin, who was best known for playing Chekov in the new Star Trek films, has been killed by his own car at his home in Los Angeles, police say.

It struck him after rolling backwards down the steep drive at his Studio City home, pinning him against a brick postbox pillar and a security fence.

He died shortly after 01:00 (08:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The 27-year-old also appeared in films including 2011’s Like Crazy, opposite Felicity Jones, and Fright Night.

Yelchin played Pavel Chekov, the role originally made famous by Walter Koenig, in the rebooted Star Trek films released in 2009 and 2013.

He reprised the role in a third film, Star Trek Beyond, which is due for release next month.

JJ Abrams, who directed Yelchin in the first two Star Trek films, paid tribute to the actor on Twitter saying he was “brilliant”.

“You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. Anton, you weren’t here nearly long enough. Missing you,” he wrote.