In a statement, Anne Heche’s family stated that she is “not expected to survive” the catastrophic incident in which her car struck a house in Los Angeles’ Mar Vista area last week.
Heche was successfully extracted from her Mini Cooper at roughly 10:55 a.m. on Friday and sent to the hospital with critical wounds.
However, in a heartbreaking development, her family said through a spokesman that she had had “a significant anoxic brain injury” after the collision and was now being kept alive while doctors assessed whether her organs were viable for donation.
“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 read.
Anne Heche in critical condition, on ventilator after crash https://t.co/Gr6bTovFmY pic.twitter.com/ErkYJozY3a
— The Hill (@thehill) August 10, 2022
“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition. She is not expected to survive.”
It continued: “Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit.
More than her extraordinary talent, she considered it her life’s purpose to inspire compassion and joy, especially by promoting acceptance of what you love. She will be so missed for her light and remembered for her brave honesty.
As we previously reported, the Heche incident generated a “strong fire” that took 59 firemen to extinguish and resulted in significant extensive damage, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The 53-year’s old, attorney Michael McConnell, stated on Monday that she hadn’t regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.
“She has a substantial lung damage needing artificial breathing and burns that require surgical surgery,” McConnell said to media sources.
I feel grave concern for Anne Heche at this moment/ I have a prayer in my heart for all those afflicted with struggles that bring so much destruction and pain.
Wishing it were different for her and her loved ones. But I feel inky dark. Sad.
— Kiersten Warren (@KierstenWarren) August 11, 2022
Police said yesterday that they are looking into whether Heche was under the influence when she crashed.
“Additional testing is needed to rule out any medications that were provided in the hospital,” officer Annie Hernandez stated.
Although various other sources have speculated as to whether or not Heche had taken anything before getting behind the wheel of her car, Richard Glass, the owner of a nearby salon where Heche had bought a wig on Friday, just before the collision, told the Los Angeles Times that the actress had been in good spirits and did not appear to be intoxicated.
One of the neighbors of the house Heche plowed into said that he was at his work on Friday when the vehicle rushed by his window.
After hearing about the accident, David Manpearl described how he went outside to discover Heche’s Mini Cooper lodged in his neighbor’s rear wall and the homeowner of the house standing in the middle of her kitchen pleading for assistance.
“She couldn’t move because the ceiling had come down, so there was all kinds of debris everywhere,” Manpearl said.
“It got to a point where there was fire everywhere. It was all around us,” he added.
EXCLUSIVE: Video shows the vehicle owned by actress Anne Heche speeding down a Mar Vista street moments before crashing into a home and sparking a fire. The story on @CBSLA 5pm. pic.twitter.com/1H93z5aVx7
— Rachel Kim (@CBSLARachel) August 5, 2022
Social media has been inundated with memorial posts for Heche since the incident.
I’m very upset and sad that Anne Heche is not expected to live.And yes she would have been arrested for driving under the influence and putting lives in danger .she still is a great artist and struggled with addiction it’s terribly sad for her children and for her friends. ✌🏼
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) August 12, 2022
Anne Heche lost her brother in a car crash when she was just 13.
It happened just a few months after her father, who sexually abused her, died due to complications from HIV.
What a horrific way to leave this earth.
My heart breaks for her two sons. https://t.co/JuQWvu8Ias
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 12, 2022
Heche is most known for playing Vicky Hudson and Marley Love, identical twins who appear in the serial opera “Another World.” Additionally, she acted in the movies “Donnie Brasco” and “Six Days Seven Nights.”
Let’s hope Anne Heche makes a full recovery.