Late actress Anne Heche’s cause of death has reportedly been ruled accidental and a result of smoke inhalation, among other things, following her fiery crash into a home in Los Angeles on August 5.
Documents from the L.A. County Coroner’s office revealed that the 53-year-old actress died from several factors, including smoke inhalation and thermal injuries, TMZ reported in a piece published Wednesday.
The report also noted that the “Donnie Brasco” star’s death was caused from a sternal fracture due to blunt trauma after she crashed her Mini Cooper into a home in Mar Vista, which subsequently caught on fire, as did her vehicle with her inside.
According to a press release from the Los Angeles Fire Department, the “Six Days Seven Nights” actress barreled into a 738-square-foot, two-story home “causing structural compromise and erupting in heavy fire prior to LAFD arrival,” as reported.
It took 59 firefighters 65 minutes to “access, confine and fully extinguish the stubborn flames within the heavily damaged structure, and rescue one female adult found within the vehicle, who has been taken to an area hospital by LAFD Paramedics in critical condition,” the press release added. “No other injuries reported.”
Authorities later confirmed that narcotics were found in the actress’ system.
Anne Heche died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries … which she obviously sustained when her car went flying through the home of a woman in Mar Vista a couple weeks ago … this according to the L.A. County Coroner. https://t.co/kVDU4xaIos
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 17, 2022
The Daytime Emmy award-winning actress of “Another World” fell into a coma shortly after the accident and never regained consciousness. Her family confirmed that she died from injuries related to the crash earlier this month, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
Following her death, her son, Homer, shared a touching statement with People magazine about his mom.
“After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness,” Heche’s son wrote, in part. “Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.”
Heche is survived by two sons — one, Homer, from her marriage to Coleman “Coley” Laffoon, who she divorced in 2009, and the other from a relationship with actor James Tupper.
Related: Shocking Details Emerge In Actress Anne Heche’s Fiery Crash Into Two-Story Home