Fiat Chrysler could face lawsuit over Anton Yelchin's death
Jeep Grand Cherokee that rolled away, killed the 'Star Trek' actor had been recalled
The local auto dealership where Anton Yelchin purchased the Jeep Grand Cherokee that killed him has denied any liability in the accident.
After Yelchin’s 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee killed him by crushing him against a gate outside him home in June, his parents, Irina and Victor Yelchin, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, ZF North America and AutoNation, citing “significant defects” in the model.
AutoNation was removed from the lawsuit, as it didn’t own the dealership at the time.
The Valencia, Calif., dealership where Yelchin purchased the vehicle fired back on Wednesday,TMZ reports, requesting to be removed from a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the actor’s parents. The dealership claims Irina and Victor didn’t preserve the vehicle properly after the accident, which would compromise evidence in the case.
The dealership also claims that Yelchin caused the accident with his “misuse, misapplication or damage” to the Jeep. It did not specify what the misuse or damage was, but the site alleged that it may be related to changes made to the vehicle after its purchase.
The 2015 Cherokee was among 1.1 million vehicles recalled in April after regulators claimed its gear shifters confused drivers into thinking the vehicle was in park when it wasn’t, leading to “dozens of injuries” caused from the Jeep rolling away.