(NewsNation) — Actor Anne Heche had narcotics in her system following a fiery crash into a home, Los Angeles police have confirmed to NewsNation.
Heche’s car crashed Aug. 5 into a home located on the west side of Los Angeles. The vehicle erupted into flames and firefighters pulled Heche, who was alone, from the car. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, around 60 firefighters responded to the scene.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the crash is still under an active and ongoing investigation. As part of their investigative process, a blood sample was taken from Heche, which they say is a common practice due to the nature of the crash.
Following the accident, Heche was hospitalized for critical injuries and has slipped into a coma. A spokeswoman said Heche has severe burns and is suffering significant injuries related to her lungs that require mechanical ventilation.
Rob Shuter, the former publicist of Heche, told NewsNation’s “Banfield” that friends close to the actress are “expecting the worst, any hour now.”
“One friend I spoke to said that they’re saying their prayers. Some friends are even saying goodbye. A few friends doubt that she will even make it through the night. She’s in a really bad place,” Shuter said.
Images obtained by TMZ appear to show Heche’s car crashing into a garage and speeding down residential streets. Another image shows what appears to be a liquor bottle in the vehicle.
Minutes before the crash, salon owner Richard Glass told NewsNation Heche bought a red wig from him. He described Heche as “coherent and polite” and said nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Heche was involved in the crash roughly 21 minutes later.
In her acting career, Heche has appeared in movies including “Six Days Seven Nights” with Harrison Ford and in “Donnie Brasco” with Johnny Depp. The Ohio native first came on the Hollywood scene when she appeared in the NBC soap opera “Another World” from 1987 to 1991.
More recently, Heche has acted on Broadway and in smaller films and on TV shows such as “Chicago P.D.” and “All Rise.” In 2020, she competed on “Dancing With the Stars.”
The LAPD is still gathering evidence connected to the case and plans to present findings to prosecutors with either the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office or the Los Angeles City District Attorney’s Office.
