Anne Heche not expected to survive injuries from car crash

Justine Browning
·2 min read
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Anne Heche
Anne Heche
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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Anne Heche

Anne Heche is not expected to survive the injuries she sustained in a car crash last week.

The 53-year-old actress was critically injured on August 5 when the Mini Cooper she was driving crashed into a residence in Mar Vista, Los Angeles.

Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury during the incident and is being treated at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital in California. Her representative released a statement Thursday evening on behalf of her friends and family revealing she will likely not recover from the accident.

"Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition," the statement, obtained by PEOPLE, said. "She is not expected to survive. It has long been her choice to donate her organs, and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable."

The fiery car crash ignited a blaze that engulfed both the car and the home into which it crashed. It took 59 firefighters to extinguish the flames. The homeowner was not injured.

Heche had narcotics in her system at the time, according to a spokesperson from the Los Angeles Police Department.

A public information officer told EW on Thursday that the star is under investigation and facing potential felony DUI charges. However, further tests will be needed to determine if the results were skewed by the medications administered during her treatment.

Authorities noted in a press release that the case is "still an active and ongoing investigation and is currently in the process of gathering additional evidence to include final toxicology results and medical records from both parties involved."

The Los Angeles Times and TMZ have also reported that Heche's initial blood test detected cocaine in her system. EW has not been able to independently confirm the reports.

A representative for the Wag the Dog and My Friend Dahmer star told EW on Monday that Heche was in "extreme critical condition" and in a coma after suffering a "significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention."

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