Jeep Dealership blames Anton Yelchin for own death.
While not an official declaration by the
FCA, the local dealership that sold the Grand Cherokee to famous Star Trek actor
Anton Yeltsin, suggests that the accident that resulted in his death was possibly due to a customization, or a failure to maintain the vehicle properly. When his Grand Cherokee rolled down a driveway, it pinned him against an object with enough pressure to where he could not breathe.
We’ve reported on the Grand Cherokee recall before. One which covers over 1.1 million vehicles so far. The gear shifter is a unique design, and many drivers may not be familiar with the way it works. Causing some drivers to think the shifter is in the “PARK” position when it might actually be in “NEUTRAL”. Anton Yeltsin’s tragic death brings the story and recall up front to the public, and more pressure on the FCA to protect consumers. The investigation on the scene showed that the Grand Cherokee was in neutral at the scene of the tragedy. Currently, there are lawsuits in progress, so specific comments are not available, and the details of the death won't be available for quite some time. It's important if you have a Grand Cherokee to adhere to any recalls issued by Jeep, and that the vehicle get's it upgrade or inspection for safety reasons. If you are new to the Jeep shifters, have a salesperson or fellow Jeeper instruct you on how it works. Make sure everyone in your family that may drive the vehicle understands how the shifter works too, even if they don't drive it daily. And as always, take an extra second or two, when stopping or parking, to make absolutely sure it's firmly in the parked position. Use your emergency brakes as a backup, even on level ground. We don't want to lose any Jeep folks, famous or otherwise.
