Anne Heche's death ruled accidental after fiery car crash
The coroner's office says actor Anne Heche died from burns and inhalation injury after her fiery car crash and the death has been ruled an accident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Actor Anne Heche died from inhalation injury and burns after her fiery car crash and the death was ruled an accident, according to coroner's results released Wednesday.
Heche, 53, also had a fractured sternum caused by “blunt trauma," according to information on the website of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
A full autopsy report was still being completed, the coroner's office said.
The Emmy-winning film and television actor was removed from life support Sunday at a burn center. She was injured when her car jumped a curb and smashed into a West Los Angeles home on Aug. 5. The car and the home burst into flames. Only Heche was injured.
Heche suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury” caused by a lack of oxygen, according to a statement released last week on behalf of her family and friends.
She was declared brain-dead but was kept on life support until her organs could be donated.
Detectives looking into the crash had said narcotics were found in a blood sample taken from Heche. However, police ended their investigation after she was declared brain-dead.
The coroner’s office listed Aug. 11 as her date of death.
Heche first came to prominence on the NBC soap opera “Another World” in the late 1980s before becoming one of the hottest stars in Hollywood in the late 1990s. She was a constant on magazine covers and in big-budget films opposite actors including Johnny Depp and Harrison Ford.