Tag: Car accidents

Anne Heche caused a series of car accidents on Friday, ending with her Mini Cooper running into a one-story home in a residential neighborhood in Los Angeles. She had to be rescued from her burning vehicle and has been on a ventilator in a medically induced coma in intensive care. She has not regained consciousness. Anne’s family and friends have visited her in the hospital and have said through a source that they are heartbroken and distressed by the headlines about her. Anne’s rep previously clarified that she in in critical condition. Unfortunately her rep has now said that she is not expected to survive.

Anne Heche is facing a grim prognosis after suffering a catastrophic brain injury, a rep for the Emmy-winning actress tells PEOPLE.

“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition,” the rep says in a statement on behalf of Heche’s family.

“She is not expected to survive.”

“It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she’s being kept on life support to determine if any are viable,” the rep tells PEOPLE.

The statement goes on to express gratitude for the outpouring of support and for the care shown for Heche, 53, in the aftermath of the devastating car crash on Aug. 5.

“We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital,” the statement continues.

As for her legacy, “Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit,” says the rep on behalf of the family. “More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love. She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”

[From People]

Anne has had a very tragic life and was estranged from her mother for good reason. Anne’s rep’s statement is lovely and sadly sounds final. She’s already being referred to in the past tense. Anne has a 20-year-old son, Homer, and a 13-year-old son, Atlas. Our thoughts go out to her family and friends.

Anne and Atlas in 2012

Anne with ex husband, James Tupper, Atlas and Homer in 2012

Anne and Homer in 2009

Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: Avalon.red and Getty

Anne Heche is currently in critical condition in the ICU on a ventilator following an accident on Friday in which she drove her Mini Cooper into a home. That accident was her third that day; she previously committed a hit and run at a garage and then narrowly missed a pedestrian and ran into a car instead. Footage from the residential area of the time leading up to the final crash show her driving at a very high speed. The home she hit and its contents were destroyed by the resulting fire, but the resident escaped with her pets and not much else. Anne is suffering severe burns and was the only person injured.

ET Online has quotes from sources close to Anne. They say her family and friends are pulling for her and that her son Homer, 20, is advocating for her care. (Anne also has a 13-year-old son, Atlas.) What’s more is that her loved ones understandably find the headlines difficult to see.

A source tells ET that the Emmy-winning actress is surrounded by her family members who are hoping for a recovery. “Her family is on pins and needles, just praying.”

Revealing that Homer is taking the lead in making sure her mother is getting the best care, the source explained, “He’s being as strong as he can be. Her family is ready to surround her, and be there if she wakes up. Everyone is waiting for that to happen…”

In the days following Heche’s highly publicized car crash and ensuing investigation, more and more details have surfaced regarding what could have led to the wreck.

Another source tells ET, “Anne’s friends and family are absolutely devastated and heartbroken. It has been difficult for them to read the salacious headlines [and] reports about Anne. They feel as though her character is being attacked. They are trying to focus on getting Anne better, and it’s very hard when they have these negative distractions. Anne is in a coma and fighting for her life. She has no voice here.”

[From ET Online]

As many of you mentioned in the comments to our last story, the conversation around Anne’s accident would be different if anyone else was hurt that day, and they easily could have been. She’s now fighting for her life. I don’t have much compassion for impaired drivers, but I can imagine how tough it must be for her family, especially when her accident is dominating the news cycle.

Photos credit Avalon.red, Backgrid and via Instagram

Anne Heche is currently in a coma in critical condition in the ICU. Previous reports from her rep that she was stable were incorrect. As we heard yesterday, police have obtained a warrant to use blood previously drawn by the hospital for a potential DUI case against her. Anne was involved in both a high speed crash into a home, which was destroyed, and an earlier hit and run at a garage. There were no fatalities and Anne was the only person injured in the crashes.

A now-deleted episode of Anne’s podcast, Better Together, was released on Friday the day of the crash. Anne and her co-host, Heather Duffy, admitted drinking vodka and wine that day. The podcast’s producer, Ryan Tillotson, has stated that it was recorded on Tuesday, not Friday, and was removed to “due to inaccurate reporting.”

Anne’s friend Heather and Anne’s oldest son, Homer, 20, visited her at the hospital on Monday, where she remains in a coma. (Anne also has a 13-year-old son, Atlas.) Heather told reporters that she did not see Anne on Friday and said that the podcast was recorded on Tuesday.

Duffy says she did not see Heche on the day of the accident.

Duffy is Heche’s co-host on their podcast, “Better Together with Anne Heche and Heather Duffy.”

She also clarified that her most recent podcast episode with Heche, where the two women “drank vodka” and “wine chasers,” was recorded the Tuesday before the accident.

En route to her car, Duffy was asked about Heche’s status. She looked downcast but shared, “We’re hoping she’s going to be alright.”

Although Heche was previously described as stable, her representative told Fox News Digital that she “has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”

The rep also stated that Heche is in “extreme critical condition” and has “a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.”

[From Fox News via Yahoo!]

I’m uncomfortable with a lot of the reporting around this story. While I don’t feel particularly sympathetic to Heche, she’s seriously injured and in a coma. If she pulls through she will surely have a difficult, painful recovery. I do believe in prosecuting drunk drivers to the full extent of the law and think that should happen here. Also I highly recommend sobriety to everyone. If you have ever wondered if you have a problem, do everything you can to quit drinking and using.

Anne and Heather in September, 2021

This photo is from February, 2022

Header photo is from September, 2020. Photos credit: Backgrid

Embed from Getty Images


Actress Anne Heche is in stable condition after a serious car crash in a Los Angeles neighborhood. Anne was speeding down a residential street on Friday in her Mini Cooper (there’s footage from different sources) when she ran into a home and was engulfed in flames. Unfortunately Anne couldn’t be rescued until the fire was extinguished. She suffered severe burns and is in intensive care now. Anne’s representative has issued a statement.

Actress Anne Heche is in stable condition after she was involved in a fiery car crash on Friday that damaged a Los Angeles home, her representative has confirmed to ABC News.

The Los Angeles Police Department also confirmed Saturday that Heche, 53, was the driver in the solo-vehicle crash.

LAPD sources told ABC News they suspect that Heche was allegedly driving at an excessive speed when the crash happened.

Police are investigating whether drugs or alcohol could have been involved, which is standard in such a crash, sources said. The LAPD has been unable to speak with Heche in the hospital due to her condition, sources said.

“Anne is currently in stable condition,” her representative said in a statement to ABC News on Saturday. “Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during this difficult time.”

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, a driver struck a two-story home in the Mar Vista neighborhood around noon Friday, “causing structural compromise and erupting in heavy fire.” They rescued a woman found in the car, who was transported to an area hospital in critical condition, the LAFD said.

Nearly 60 firefighters responded to extinguish the “stubborn flames within the heavily damaged structure,” the department said.

There were no passengers in the car and no other injuries were reported, the LAFD said. The department would not confirm if Heche was the driver, citing medical privacy laws.

DMV records and police sources confirmed that the vehicle involved in the crash and fire was registered to Heche.

The LAPD’s West Traffic Division is investigating.

Authorities are also investigating an alleged misdemeanor hit-and-run incident before the fiery crash.

[From ABC News]

People has more on the after effects of the wreck, including the fact that the woman whose one story rental home Anne ran into, Lynne Mishele, is fine and was able to escape with her dogs and her tortoise, but that her possessions were destroyed. She was looked after in the immediate aftermath by her neighbors, who gave her clothing, food and a place to stay. There’s a GoFundMe to help her rebuild as well.

According to TMZ, this was the second car accident Anne was in that day. They report that she crashed “into a garage at an apartment complex [and] reversed and sped off from the first crash.” That must be the hit and run that ABC News is referring to, and it doesn’t sound like anyone was hurt in that incident thankfully.

CNN has the detail that an episode of Anne’s podcast, which has since been removed from Apple podcasts, was released on Friday before this accident. Anne and her co-host talk about drinking, I’m assuming that day, although it was possibly recorded earlier.

Heche remained in hospital as of Saturday evening and the significant nature of her injuries have prevented officers from interviewing her, the law enforcement source added.

Hours before Heche’s crash on Friday, a new episode of her podcast “Better Together,” was released but it has since been removed from their Apple Podcast landing page. During a portion of the podcast, Heche and her co-host, Heather Duffy, discuss drinking vodka and wine and Heche talks about having a “bad day.” It’s unclear when the podcast was recorded. CNN has reached out to Heche’s representatives for comment.

“Today’s been a very unique day,” Heche says in the podcast. “I don’t know what happened, sometimes days just suck and I don’t know if you ever have them, but some days Mama says are … some days are those no good very bad days. And I don’t know why some days just end up like this, and things don’t really rock me like that.”

[From CNN]

I hope that Anne is OK and that she is able to recover. Anne’s ex boyfriend, Thomas Jane, has said that she is expected to pull through. It sounds like she has a long road ahead of her.

Photos credit: Avalon.red, Getty and via Instagram