'Star Trek' star Anton Yelchin dies at 27 in freak car collision

Star Trek star Anton Yelchin has died at age 27 following a tragic and strange car accident early Sunday morning.

His publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed the news in a statement on Sunday.

"Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning," the statement said. "His family requests you respect their privacy at this time."

Yelchin was pinned by his own car leaving his Studio City residence Sunday at 1:10 in the morning, Jenny Hauser, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, said.

"A fatal traffic collision occurred, it 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," Hauser said.

"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."

The Russian-born actor Yelchin was best known as playing Chekov in the Star Trekreboot movie series including 2009's Star Trek and 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness.Yelchin had completed his role in Star Trek Beyond which is in the final editing stages before its release July 22.

Yelchin moved to the United States at six months old with his parents, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, who were stars of the Leningrad Ice Ballet. He told USA TODAY in 2001 that he had no desire to follow in his parents' skating footsteps.

"I hate any physical activity. I like reading and chess. I was with my dad once and fell on the back of my head. My skating career ended there at age 7," Yelchin said.

He enrolled in acting classes and at age nine made his film debut in A Man Is Mostly Water. This followed pairings with such formidable elder actors as Robert De Niro (15 Minutes), Albert Finney (Delivering Milo) and Morgan Freeman (Along Came a Spider). At 12, Yelchin appeared alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins in a critically-heralded performance in Hearts in Atlantis.

Following his first appearance as Chekov in Star Trek, Yelchin starred as young Kyle Reese in 2009's Terminator Salvation.

After voicing Clumsy Smurf in The Smurfs film, starring in the horror remake Fright Night and the romantic drama Like Crazy in 2011, Yelchin was declared a "fresh face" star by USA TODAY.

"I'm drawn to that which I have not done before, that which is challenging, that which allows me to create a different kind of character," Yelchin said add the time.

John Cho, who plays Sulu in the rebooted Star Trek series, Tweeted his his respects on Sunday.

"I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins," Cho wrote. "Please send your love to Anton's family right now. They need it."

Zachary Quinto, who portrays Spock in Star Trek, called Yelchin "our dear friend, our comrade. our Anton," adding that the actor was "one of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know."

"So enormously talented and generous of heart, wise beyond his years. and gone before his time," Quinto wrote. "All love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief."