A lawsuit has been filed against Anne Heche’s estate related to the actress’s fatal crash into a one-story home in Los Angeles in August
Anne Heche’s estate is being sued by a woman whose home was destroyed in the actress’s fatal Aug. 5 crash.
According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, Lynne Mishele’s attorneys filed documents in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County on Nov. 9, requesting “at least $2 million” in damages for “negligence”, “infliction of emotional distress” and “trespass”.
Per the filing, Michele — who was renting the home from John and Jennifer Durand at the time of the crash — states that she “was working from home when she was stunned by the dramatic force of Heche’s vehicle slamming through the front wall and driving through the living room, kitchen, home office, and primary room closet before settling into the laundry/storage room of her house.”
The documents also note that “The front end of the car, incredibly, came to a halt just feet away from Plaintiff and her pets: two dogs named Bree and Rueben and a tortoise named Marley.”
“By God’s grace, Plaintiff and her three pets barely escaped physical impact from the car crash,” the documents add, going on to describe Mishele as “terrified, severely traumatized, and without a place to live,” as a result of the crash.
“She was only wearing sweatpants and a tanktop and did not even have shoes on,” per the documents. “As a result of the deadly incident caused by Heche, the home and all of Plaintiff’s personal property were completely burned and destroyed, including an entire lifetime of possessions, pictures and mementos, all her business papers and equipment, her laptop and iPad, all of her clothing, basic necessities, and household items.”
“In addition to losing all of her possessions and being physically uprooted, Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer severe emotional distress and professional hardship,” the documents continue.
“Plaintiff has been unable to sleep and is battling acute anxiety and depression. She has also been unable to operate her home business because of her physical displacement and fragile mental health caused by Defendants’ irresponsible behavior. She has received counseling, but remains traumatized by Defendants’ actions.”
On Aug. 7, Mishele’s neighbor, Lynne Bernstein, told PEOPLE that she “was extremely fortunate” to survive the accident with no injuries, after the Emmy Award winner, 53, crashed her car into the Los Angeles residence, causing it to catch fire.
According to earlier reporting by PEOPLE, the Los Angeles Fire Department said that the accident caused “structural compromise” and “heavy fire” to the one-story home.
One day after the crash, John and Jennifer Durand launched a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of the loss of her belongings where they called Mishele, “A kind and generous person.” According to the GoFundMe, 59 firefighters took 65 minutes to extinguish the flames that were caused by the crash — an account repeated in Mishele’s legal filing.
Heche was driving a Mini Cooper when she crashed into the one-story home. The residence caught fire, and Heche was hospitalized and intubated. She never regained consciousness. Her death has since been ruled an accident.
That same day, the LAPD announced they were no longer investigating the crash.
After news broke of Heche’s death, Mishele called the news “devastating” and sent “love” to the actress’s family.
In a video posted from Mishele’s Creative Organization business Instagram account, she expressed her condolences to Heche’s loved ones and “her children specifically.”
“This entire situation is tragic and there really are just no words,” she says in the clip.
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