'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin dead at 27

Updated 4:25 p.m. EST:

Following the tragic death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin at age 27, the Los Angeles Police Department has released a statement with more details on the accident that resulted in his death.

“A fatal traffic collision happened in Studio City. On Sunday, June 19 at 1:10 in the morning, 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,” says LAPD spokesperson Jenny Hauser. “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. It appeared he had momentarily exited his car leaving it in the driveway.”

Original story:

In what's been described as a “freak accident,” Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin has died at age 27. 

His body was found by friends of the actor around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, TMZ reports. Law enforcement officials say the actor's car was running (and in neutral) when his body was discovered pinned between the vehicle and a brick mailbox, which was attached to a security gate. Foul play is not suspected. 

Yelchin was born March 11, 1989 in the former Soviet Union in what is now St. Petersburg, Russia. His family moved to the United States when he was 6 months old. He starred opposite Anthony Hopkins in Hearts Of Atlantis when he was just 11 years old. He had a major role in 2006's Alpha Dog and played the title character in the following year's Charlie Bartlett. He played Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation, the main character in the Fright Night remake and landed the important role of Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek franchise reboot. 

Star Trek Beyond arrives in theaters July 22.