US actor Anton Yelchin has died, his publicist has confirmed.

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The 27-year-old, who was best known for his role as Chekhov in the rebooted Star Trek films, was involved in a “fatal traffic collision” earlier today.

“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning,” Yelchin’s publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed to RadioTimes.com. “His family requests you respect their privacy at this time‎.”

In an official statement, Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Jenny Hauser said that Yelchin died in the early hours of Sunday morning after his car rolled backwards “down his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick mailbox pillar and security fence.”

“The victim was on his way to meet his friends for rehearsal,” Hauser continued.

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“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.”

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Yelchin's final Star Trek film, Star Trek Beyond, is due for release later this summer.

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