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Anton Yelchin dead. The Russian-born actor Yelchin who played Chekov in the new Star Trek films and acted in Alpha dog has been killed by his own car at his home in Los Angeles, police say.
The vehicle struck him after rolling backwards down the drive at his Studio City home,
pinning him against a brick postbox pillar and a security fence.
Police did not say why he was behind the car at the time.
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Yelchin, 27, also appeared in the crime thriller Alpha Dog and teen comedy Charlie Bartlett.
Yelchin played Pavel Chekov, the role originally made famous by Walter Koenig (now 79), in the films Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
A third film with him in the role, Star Trek Beyond, is due for release next month.
News of his death led Twitter trends in Los Angles and beyond on Sunday.
Fellow Star Trek actor John Cho, who plays Sulu in the series, tweeted, "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."
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Fan site @StarTrek marked his death with a simple, sombre image.
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Found dead by friends
An only child, he was born to professional figure skaters in Leningrad (now St Petersburg), who moved to the US when he was still a baby.
Los Angeles police officer Jenny Hosier said Yelchin had just got out of the vehicle when it rolled back.
He had been on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, she added.
When he did not arrive, the group came to his home and found him dead, the police spokeswoman said.
The actor's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed the actor's death and said his family had requested privacy.