Anne Heche died from “smoke inhalation and thermal injuries,” according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, People reported today. Her death was officially ruled an accident.
The report cited a “sternal fracture due to blunt trauma” as another “significant condition” contributing to her passing. Heche sustained the injuries when her car jumped a curb and careened into a house in West L.A. last week, whereupon it burst into flames. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Tributes Pour In For Anne Heche From Colleagues, Friends & Fans
After Heche was pronounced brain dead, her family on Thursday made the difficult decision to take her off life support after any viable organs could be donated. Her heart stopped beating Sunday evening.
The coroner’s office listed her date of death as August 11, the day she was declared brain dead at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. It was unclear exactly what organ or organs were donated.
Her family and friends released the following statement:
“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”
Even the woman whose house Heche fatally crashed into shared her sorrow on social media.
Lynne Mishele, who was in the back yard on the other side of the house at the time of the crash, said in part, “The news of Anne Heche passing is devastating. Her family and her friends and her children, especially, really have suffered a great loss, and my heart goes out for them.”
“This entire situation is just tragic and there really are just no words. I’m sending love to everyone involved.”
A fund, set up to assist Mishele in her financial struggles arising from the accident had by Sunday raised $150,000.
Law enforcement officials had been looking into the accident after blood tests showed the presence of “narcotics” in Heche’s system. They were trying to determine, among other things, if the drug or drugs were introduced into her system at the hospital, as part of pain management, or before. The test results also showed Heche was not under the influence of alcohol. On Sunday officials announced the investigation had been closed.
“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement shared by People. “Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”
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