Anne Heche’s Medical Tests Show She Was Not Impaired by Drugs at Time of Crash but Had Used Both Cocaine and Cannabis Prior
Cannabinoids were found in her urine but “not detected in the admission blood and is consistent with prior use, but not at the time of the injury.” Toxicology also showed she had fentanyl in her system, though the coroner’s report indicated that it was “obtained after she received treatment at the hospital and therefore is consistent with therapeutic use.”
“This is supported by the lack of fentanyl in the blood specimen drawn at admission to the hospital,” the report states. Additionally, the report indicates that Heche’s burns were so bad that they prevented her body from effectively absorbing oxygen, which led to her “anoxic brain injury.” This is ultimately what killed her. According to People, on August 5, Heche was behind the wheel of her Mini Cooper when she crashed into a Los Angeles home.
There were no skid marks at the scene, according to the report. Suffering third and second-degree burns and a fractured sternum, she was rushed to the UCLA Ronald Ragan Hospital before later being transported to a specialty burns ICU at West Hills Hospital.