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Anne Heche died in August 2022 following a fiery car accident. The starlet’s crash, which occurred before noon on Aug. 5, 2022, destroyed a home, caused a fire, and left firefighters battling for nearly an hour to free Heche from the wreckage. Heche remained hospitalized following the crash before ultimately succumbing to her injuries. Months after her death, an official toxicology report revealed whether or not Heche was driving under the influence.  

Anne Heche’s car accident was not caused by the use of illegal substances 

Inhalation and thermal injuries were cited as Heche’s official cause of death. That cause was released to the public in mid-August, less than two weeks after the crash. Despite the release of some information, toxicology reports were still pending. Because of the speed at which Heche was traveling and comments made on her podcast, theories that she was under the influence at the time of the crash circulated the internet. 

The scene of Anne Heche's fatal car accident. Anne Heche's toxicology report revealed the actress wsa not under the influence when she lost control of her vehicle.
Anne Heche accident site | Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

The complete report was released to the public in December 2022. According to the official toxicology report, Heche did have several chemicals in her blood at the time of her official death. Still, she was not driving while impaired when the accident happened. According to USA Today, the report states that cocaine, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, and fentanyl were all present in Heche’s system when samples were taken. Fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, was administered by hospital staff and was consistent with therapeutic use. The other substances, including the cocaine, were not in concentrations high enough to suggest Heche had used them immediately before the high-speed crash. 

What caused the crash? 

If illegal substances didn’t play a role in the crash, what exactly did cause the Donnie Brasco actor’s tragic accident? No one is entirely sure why Heche was driving through Mar Vista on that fateful summer morning. It’s also unclear why she was driving so erratically. 

Anne Heche behind the wheel of a green Mini Cooper in 2020. Two years later, Heche died from injuries sustained in a car accident in a different Mini Cooper
Anne Heche | fupp/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
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Despite not having much information about the events that led up to the accident, the car crash was caused by excessive speed. No other vehicles were involved in the incident. According to the U.S. Sun, a doorbell camera captured footage of Heche’s car speeding through a residential street minutes before the crash. It’s theorized that the starlet hit speeds as high as 90 miles per hour before losing control of the car. 

Did Anne Heche have children? 

Anne Heche was not married when she died, but she did have two children from previous relationships. Her first son, Homer Laffoon, was born in 2002. Heche shared Homer with her ex-husband, Coleman Laffoon, a real estate broker. 

In 2009, she welcomed Atlas Heche Tupper with her then-partner, James Tupper. Tupper and Heche never married but were together for 11 years before they announced their split in 2018. Her eldest son is the official administrator of Heche’s estate.