Jeep Dealership Claims Anton Yelchin's Death Was His Own Fault, Wants Out of Lawsuit

A new wrinkle has cropped up in the lawsuit filed against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles by the parents of late Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin.

Yelchin died in June after being pinned against a gatepost by his 2015 Jeep Cherokee, which was subject to a recall for its confusing Monostable shift lever. According to documents obtained by TMZ, the dealer that sold him the vehicle blames the victim for the accident.

The actor’s Grand Cherokee was one of more than 800,000 FCA vehicles voluntarily recalled by the automaker in April. FCA’s short-lived Monostable shifter, which returns to a center position after a driver shifts gears, is blamed for dozens of roll-away accidents. Due to the design, some drivers mistakenly believe they’ve shifted into park, even though the vehicle is still in “drive”, “reverse”, or “neutral.”

Yelchin’s Jeep was found at the bottom of his steep driveway, engine running, with the transmission in neutral.

According to the TMZ report, the Valencia, California dealer named in the wrongful death lawsuit wants its name removed from the suit. The dealer claims that Yelchin’s death was due to his own “misuse, misapplication, or damage” of the vehicle. While TMZ says this suggests Yelchin may have modified the vehicle in some way, we’re not sure how you’d modify a factory shifter of that type, or why.

It’s far more likely the dealer put out a blanket statement to remove itself from legal action against the actual designer and builder of the vehicle and shifter — as any dealer would.

The dealer also claims Yelchin’s parents didn’t preserve the vehicle in the state in which it was found, which could erase evidence. In the wake of the accident, FCA claimed it would examine the vehicle.

All recalled Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep models equipped with the shifter will receive a software update and “auto park” feature to prevent roll aways.