Anne Heche Suffers Serious Injuries In Fiery Car Crash
On August 5, Anne Heche was in a horrific car accident, crashing her Mini Cooper multiple times in a Los Angeles neighborhood. Witnesses told TMZ that, around noon, the 53-year-old actor crashed into a garage at an apartment complex. As residents tried to pull her out of the car, Heche reversed the Mini Cooper and quickly drove away. According to TMZ, shortly after the apartment accident, Heche crashed her car into a home, starting a big fire. The "Aftermath" star was taken away by ambulance in a stretcher, leaving behind her charred car and a team of firefighters racing to put out the house fire.
Of course, concern for Heche poured out on social media. Rosanna Arquette tweeted asking for prayers, calling the accident "really tragic," while a fan expressed "healing love" toward the actor.
Given the serious circumstances of the crash, people are understandably curious to know Heche's condition. According to reports, the star's injuries are quite concerning.
Anne Heche was reportedly intubated due to her injuries
Sadly, TMZ reported Anne Heche is intubated — but the positive is she's expected to survive her injuries. Other than that, not much is known on her condition outside of the severe burns. Heche's camp said of the incident in a statement to People, "We don't have enough information yet to comment."
Since Heche is currently intubated, physicians have not done any tests to determine if she was driving under the influence. However, Heche has been public about her substance use and mental health challenges, telling ABC News, "I drank. I smoked. I did drugs. I had sex with people. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life." The actor said that she struggled as an adult after experiencing sexual abuse by her father growing up.
Thankfully, no one else was injured in the crash, as the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to People.
Anne Heche's car crash was more severe than it appeared
L.A. reporter Rachel Kim shared a video of Anne Heche's car after the crash, tweeting, "Here's the now mangled vehicle owned by actress Anne Heche being towed away after speeding and crashing into a Mar Vista home and sparking a fire." The L.A. Fire Department also tweeted that 59 firefighters arrived to put out the fire at the Mar Vista home. In a release about the accident, firefighters reported that the driver (Heche) was in critical condition.
Deadline reported that Fox11's eye in the sky Stu Mandel described the fiery scene, saying, "If there's somebody alive in there this is going to be a miracle." According to the outlet, after Heche was rescued, Mandel exclaimed, "He's completely alive! He was trying to get away," as the Fox11 reporter originally thought the driver was male. Law enforcement officials told the Los Angeles Times that the "Vanished" actor had "significant burns" and appeared to be "under the influence and acting erratically."
After the Times reported that Heche might have been under the influence, a fan tweeted: "I don't know if Anne Heche was under the influence but I really hope someone who loves her gets her the help she needs quickly. She needs love and support." Reporter Steve Huff tweeted, "She's been pretty open about her mental health challenges but as anyone who has had loved ones suffering from certain disorders knows, there are many people who never treat their illness appropriately for very long."
Inside Anne Heche's history of mental health and substance abuse issues
As investigators speculate about Anne Heche's state of mind at the time of her crash, the "Psycho" actor hasn't been shy about sharing the story behind her mental health and substance abuse issues in the past. During an exclusive "20/20" interview with Barbara Walters in 2001, Heche revealed that she spent the first 31 years of her life in the throes of mental illness because her father sexually abused her as a child. In fact, for years, the actor thought she was two different people — a coping mechanism she developed in response to her father's advances. "I had a fantasy world that I escaped to. I called my other personality Celestia," Heche told Walters. "I believed I was from that world. I believed I was from another planet. I think I was insane." This ultimately led to her subsequent struggle with substance abuse.
According to an ABC News report from 2000, Heche was hospitalized for a "medical problem" after she showed up at a farmhouse in rural western Fresno County, seemingly intoxicated and confused, and made "strange statements" to the residents who answered the door. "She proceeded to tell me that she was God and was going to take everyone back to heaven with her in some sort of spaceship," the responding deputy described in his report.
While the authorities have not yet determined if drugs or alcohol played a role in Heche's fiery crash, TMZ noted that there appeared to be "a bottle with a red cap in the cupholder next to the gearshift," which could have been "a bottle of alcohol."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).