‘Star Trek’ Actor Anton Yelchin Dead At 27 After Car Accident

Actor Anton Yelchin died after a car accident early Sunday. The 27-year-old performer was best known for his role as Chekov in director J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” films.

“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning,” his representative, Jennifer Allen, said in a statement (via Variety). “His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.”

The collision may not have been between two cars. TMZ reported that the “Alpha Dog” star was pinned between his own car, whose gear was in neutral, and a brick mailbox that was attached to a security gate. The surface reportedly featured a steep incline, but it isn’t clear why Yelchin left his vehicle. Officials believe it was an accident.

The actor appears in several movies that will be released posthumously. He’ll be seen as Chekov in July’s “Star Trek Beyond.” He also recently completed work on the family drama “We Don’t Belong Here” with Catherine Keener and the sci-fi flick “Rememory” with Peter Dinklage. Neither have release dates yet. A romance titled “Porto” and a thriller titled “Thoroughbred” are also listed as being in post-production on his IMDb page.

In addition, Yelchin planned to perform in roles in a couple of TV presentations that have yet to begin production. He’ll likely be replaced in “Mr. Mercedes” and “Trollhunters.”

Yelchin’s friends, colleagues and admirers have started reacting to his death on social media: