Anne Heche was found to have drugs in her system when she crashed her car into a home in Los Angeles, leaving her in a coma fighting for her life, the Los Angeles Police Department told HollywoodLife on Thursday, August 11. However, additional testing is needed to “rule out any substances administered at the hospital.” The LAPD also said the actress is under investigation for a felony DUI, as a female who was inside the home at the time of the tragic accident had to seek medical treatment. HollywoodLife has reached out to Anne’s rep for comment.
“Right now, we are investigating this as a felony DUI. That is because her blood draw came back revealing the presence of drugs.” Officer Lee of the LAPD told HollywoodLife. “I cannot say which drugs because there is additional testing required due to the fact that they must rule out any substances administered at the hospital. That is done through a secondary test.”
“The reason that is a felony is that there were injuries to a female inside of the house who had to seek medical treatment when the house was engulfed in flames,” Officer Lee continued. “Right now, we are concerned about getting her back to a healthy human being. If Anne does not make it and succumbs to her injuries, investigators will continue their investigation to find out what caused the accident. Obviously, there would be no charges filed in that circumstance.”
The update comes a few days after a spokesperson told HollywoodLife that “shortly after the accident, Anne Heche became unconscious, slipping into a coma.” The source added, “She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.”
Earlier on Aug. 8, an officer from the LAPD told HollywoodLife that a toxicology test is being done on Anne’s blood. “Today we got an update that there is an ongoing investigation pending a blood result. If it shows that the driver was intoxicated, they will be charged with a misdemeanor hit and run. The case will be presented to the city district attorney’s office.”
On Friday, August 5, the Six Days, Seven Nights star was taken to a local hospital after a car she was driving crashed into a residential home. “The vehicle was heading east on Preston Way at a high rate of speed, entered the T intersection at Preston Way and Walgrove Ave, ran off the road, and collided with the residence in the 1700 block of Walgrove,” a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Anne’s car then became engulfed in flames, causing the house to catch fire as well. It took firefighters over an hour to “access, confine and fully extinguish the stubborn flames within the heavily damaged structure,” the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.
Paramedics took Anne away on a stretcher, according to reports, and she was said to be in critical condition when she arrived at the hospital. “Anne is in the ICU, she’s lucky to be alive,” a source for CNN said at the time. “She has severe burns and has a long recovery ahead. Her team and her family are still trying to process what led up to the crash.”