Actor's death linked to SUV safety recall?

​FIAT Chrysler Automobiles said on Monday it would investigate a crash that killed Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin in his recalled 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

He was killed when the SUV rolled away and pinned him against a fence in Los Angeles, police said on Sunday.

Fiat Chrysler in April recalled more than 1.1 million cars and SUVs worldwide because vehicles may roll away after drivers exit, an issue linked to 41 injuries, 212 crashes and 308 reports of property damage, though it had no immediate fix for owners.

In a May 24 letter to dealers, Fiat Chrysler said it anticipated having the software updates required to fix the vehicles no later than July or August.

The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said late on Monday it is in contact with the local authorities and Fiat Chrysler "to understand all of the facts related to this tragic crash, including whether or not this was caused by the current issue under recall".

The recall was done at NHTSA's urging, which again warned owners that "until all of these recalled vehicles are fixed, owners should take extra care to make sure their car is in park and turned completely off before exiting".

Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Centre for Auto Safety, said on Monday that "while waiting for a recall remedy to be developed, the predictable happened. Anton Yelchin died. How many more people will be killed or injured waiting for a recall remedy of this fatal manufacturing flaw?"

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said investigators were aware of the recall issue with the Jeep and were looking at whether that played any role in the fatality.