Anne Heche was in a coma Monday as authorities continued to investigate an accident Friday that left the actress with serious burns, her spokeswoman said.
“Shortly following the accident, Anne Heche became unconscious, slipping into a coma and is in critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” the representative said in a statement to The Times.
Los Angeles police are investigating Heche in connection with driving under the influence and hit-and-run following she crashed her car into a Mar Vista house, igniting a fire. Heche, 53, was pulled by L.A. firefighters from the wreckage of her burned Mini Cooper.
Los Angeles Police Officer Anne Hernandez confirmed that detectives investigating the crash in the 1700 block of South Walgrove Avenue obtained a search warrant for the actor’s blood at the hospital to see whether she was under the influence.
Fifty-nine firefighters responded to the scene of the accident. In the moments before impact, Heche was captured on video crashing into a garage at an apartment building, then narrowly missing a pedestrian before striking a Jaguar, according to video made public by law enforcement sources.
Police tape remains at the home in the 1700 block of Walgrove Avenue in Mar Vista, where actress Anne Heche crashed her vehicle on Aug. 5.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Heche has not been arrested or charged.
Heather Duffy Boylston, Heche’s friend and podcast partner, said in a statement: “Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during this difficult time.”
Heche is best known for her work as Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in the soap opera “Another World”; she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for her work on the show. In the 1990s, her credits included the films “Donnie Brasco,” “Six Days Seven Nights” and “Return to Paradise.” More recently, she appeared in the TV series “All Rise” and “Chicago P.D.” and the movie “The Brave.”
