Anton Yelchin, the American actor best known for his performance as young, inexperienced ensign Pavel Checkov in the Star Trek film series, passed away following a car crash in his own driveway early Sunday. He was 27 years old. 

Police found him pinned between his car, a mail box, and a security gate, Entertainment Tonight reports.

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Fans and friends took to social media to express sorrow over Yelchin's death.

Star Trek co-star Zachary Quinto praised Yelchin for being one of "most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know."

He described him as "enormously talented," "generous of heart," and "wise beyond his years."

Chris Evans, meanwhile, was "devastated" to learn about the death of the brilliant actor, calling him "thoughtful, kind, and gifted."

Fellow Star Trek actor John Cho, meanwhile, said: "He was a true artist - curious, beautiful, courageous."

Yelchin played Pavel Checkov in the Star Trek reboot in 2009, as well as in its sequel Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and its upcoming following up Star Trek Beyond, slated for release in July this year.

Yelchin's acting career began when he was nine, appearing in an indie film A Man is Mostly Water, landing television and film roles, including Along Came a Spider and Hearts in Atlantis (both 2001). His performance as Jacob Clarke in the Steven Spielberg miniseries Taken helped boost his career as a child actor.

He won the best actor prize at the 2002 Young Artists Awards for his stirring performance as Bobby Garfield in Hearts in Atlantis (2001). He eventually starred in the films Terminator Salvation (2009), Fright Night (2011), and Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), with the Star Trek role being his most unforgettable.

Yelchin, whose ancestry hails from Russia, is survived by his parents.

Tagsanton yelchin, Star Trek