Anne Heche was in two car crashes on Friday, the second of which was really bad and put her in the ICU and destroyed the home she crashed into. The home’s tenant and her pets were able to escape uninjured (there’s a GoFundMe) and Anne is in the hospital with severe burns. It was first reported that Anne was in stable condition, however, that information was inaccurate and her spokesperson said so to CNN, adding: “She has always remained in critical condition, slipping into a coma following the accident. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.”
Before the second, more serious crash, Anne was involved in a hit-and-run with another property earlier that day. Because of the two crashes and potentially due to her podcast episode posted the same day as the crash, the LAPD has gotten a warrant to test Anne’s blood to determine if she was intoxicated while she was driving.
Anne Heche will have to give a blood sample to police after crashing her car into a home in Los Angeles.
The LAPD received a warrant to test the “Six Days, Seven Nights” star’s blood to see if she was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the crash, Page Six confirmed.
Officers believe Heche, 53, was intoxicated when she plowed her blue Mini Cooper into a house Friday and sustained severe burns after the vehicle caught fire, but her blood test results could take weeks, TMZ reported.
Sources also told the outlet that, at the minimum, the LAPD will refer Heche’s case to the LA City attorney, who could press hit-and-run charges, as she reportedly slammed into a garage and drove off before driving into the nearby house.
“The info we received this morning was a warrant was obtained the same day as the traffic collision, which was August 5. The warrant was to draw blood, and an investigation is ongoing pending the blood test results,” a rep for the LAPD told Page Six. “If found intoxicated, [Heche] could be charged with misdemeanor DUI hit and run. No arrests have been made so far.”
Officials with the LAPD West Traffic Division also confirmed that Heche hit another vehicle before taking off again and hitting the house.
LAPD got the warrant the day of the crash because the blood draw has to be done within hours. They’re still waiting for the results, but Anne hasn’t been able to talk with them at all due to her serious injuries. As mentioned in the previous post, Anne’s podcast had posted an episode earlier that day during which Anne was drinking vodka and wine. The podcast episode was pulled down after the car crash and her podcast producer has since denied it was taped on the same day, saying that it was recorded earlier that week and posted later. A hair salon owner told The LA Times that Anne was in his salon that morning, just two miles from the crash site. He said she seemed pleasant and not intoxicated, but did say she grabbed his face, which is definitely odd behavior. From the overall reporting, it doesn’t seem like Anne was rushing away from anything and it’s unclear whether the accidents happened in her neighborhood or close to her home. This sounds like a very dangerous situation and it’s fortunate that no one was killed. Hopefully all involved are okay.
I am so happy the people inside the house she crashed into are unharmed. One thing is to hurt yourself for your own actions, and another to hurt innocent people. It seems quite plausible that she has sustained disfiguring wounds and that her acting career is over. She deserves compassion not judging.
I don’t think anyone wishes her harm. I have compassion for addicts, but I do not believe they should be sheltered from the damage their addiction causes others. She has struggled with addiction for some time. Decades. Now this woman’s home is burned down. Now her belongings are gone. Her pets are traumatized. If Heche gave that woman everything she had it wouldn’t be enough imo.
And she rented! She doesn’t even get to rebuild.
Compassion and accountability are not mutually exclusive. But also the harm you cause yourself *does not* equal much less negate the harm you cause others.
I don’t think anybody is saying that she shouldn’t be held accountable, but rather pointing out that “zero sympathy” for significant mental health and addiction issues is not the way either.
@Lucy lemme just say as someone who has been dealing with the fallout of an addict loved one who is slow motion destroying their life and making it the problem of everyone surrounding them, the sympathy does wear thin. Even if they’re trying and you love them.
@tealily As someone who has also been dealing with a similar situation my whole life, I still stand by what I am saying.
@tealily. Compassion wearing thin says something about the capacity to be compassionate at that point and time. If your effort to help or support takes more of yourself than it helps, it’s best to take some healthy distance. This way you do not have to judge the other person, but in the mean time you take care of yourself so when they have more space for healing, you can be there for them.
Compassion should never cease, if you start to feel you are owed anything in return, you need to step away and think about your own mental and physical health. That pain you feel by doing so is the anxiety of not knowing what will happen to your relationship to that person.
Imagine a house on fire, with three people inside. However much you want to save someone, if it’s blazing and you have no equipment to help you out, you are of no use. Going in will get you hurt or killed (not being able to help), not going in means you have to watch them get hurt and maybe lose them. It. Sucks.
Thanks, Lucille. I’m stepping back as much as I can, but we’re in a position right now where if it’s not me it’s literally no one. I don’t want my loved one to die, but I also resent the f— out of being put in this position over and over. They’re trying to do all the right stuff and I’m trying to show up positively for that, but I’m really tired of this cycle and also trying not to enable it. The whole thing is hugely upsetting and takes a toll on me. Addiction f-ing sucks and it’s just something I’m going to be mad about right now.
You can have compassion for someone’s struggle with addiction while also holding them accountable for their actions. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive. Alcoholism runs in my family on BOTH sides. I’ve seen it up close and personal. I also know Anne’s mother. My family rented property from her many years ago. And she’s a terrible person. Truly. Anne comes a traumatic childhood that I would hope she was taking the time to heal from and seek help for.
Having said all that it is truly a blessing that no one was hurt and one of the worst things a person can do is drive drunk. So many people have lost their lives due the reckless choices of others. And if she was intoxicated she needs to be held responsible for it.
If she was driving while intoxicated then she does deserve to be judged harshly.
+1.
have you seen the video of her speeding erratically through the street? it’s a miracle she didn’t kill anyone, but she destroyed someone’s house and put people with little children who used to live there under an enormous amount of stress. I have no compassion for people like her. She is getting what she deserves.
The video of her driving is insane! Absolute miracle that no one was killed. She will be judged in a court of law. This is not the time to make excuses that oh she has mental illness or a drinking problem and everyone needs to be compassionate. Rather these are the consequences of untreated illness and addiction.
She also came within feet of hitting a woman on the sidewalk and did not slow down or attempt to move out of the way. She was a danger to the public not just herself. Prosecution does need to happen even if she is unable to serve any jail time. I am thinking that the point will be moot though. She is in very bad condition and I do not know if she has the will to live anymore
Nope
Court of law never seems to give fair punishment to drunk drivers. They get away with murder. Actual murder. They don’t always get their licenses taken. And the amount of jail or fines is minimal or sometimes not at all.
Maybe wait for the test results before judging her.
@MeganC what test results? there is a video of her, driving full speed into a house, reversing and speeding off from the first crash scene. Drunk or not drunk, she acted like a dangerous maniac.
She is an addict, almost certainly because she was raped by her father. I know she did terrible things, but I can’t even imagine having to go through life with her trauma. I have nothing but compassion for her.
@Nope – Discussing her mental illness and addiction issues is not an “excuse” – it’s context and it matters to what happened here. Now actually *IS* the time to discuss it and the “consequences” of said issues. The lack of any compassion for her as a person too is something else.
@Jp being an incest victim doesn’t give you carte blanche for reckless driving. Plenty of incest victims DON’T risk the lives of others. It’s not like the two go hand-in-hand. I do have compassion for her, but I also have a lot of f*cking anger. I think that’s a reasonable response.
That footage was chilling. Highway speeds on a residential street, SMH.
@Jp — my cousin was sexually abused by her father, my uncle, as a child and has been in therapy for decades as a result. She’s a retired nurse and schoolteacher, has traveled the world doing volunteer vacations, raising money and bringing medical and school supplies to impoverished communities. She’s not an alcoholic or drug addict. She’s never even had a parking ticket. I do feel sorry for Anne Heche — she’s clearly struggling with some demons, however she has the financial means to get the best kind of treatment, but seems to have preferred self-medication to professional help. I also feel sorry for her family — I can’t imagine what her husband and children must be going through. All in all, what she did was the epitome of selfishness and thank god she didn’t kill anyone.
Once is established that she was driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs she will be charged and sentenced accordingly. She will lose her driver’s license forever. She will do time in jail. Hollywood will not employ her anymore specially if she has disfigurement due to her wounds and those she will bear for the rest of her life, what more punishment can a person be subjected to?
1) I don’t think most people want her punished. They want her held accountable. Two different things. It’s a miracle she didn’t kill anyone.
2) I think she’ll probably be convicted, but I sincerely doubt she’ll do jail time given the extent of her injuries. I knew someone who survived 3rd degree burns. They spent the next decade in and out of the hospital having scar tissue removed, enduring crueling physical therapy, not to mention the skin grafts. And they didn’t have damaged lungs like Anne apparently does.
If Anne manages to survive, she’s got a long brutal recovery ahead of her.
If anything, she’d probably be given house arrest, because there is no way a prison could care for someone this badly injured.
This is just an incredibly sad story. For her, her family, and for the innocent woman who is now homeless.
If she goes to jail will greatly depend on her medical needs. Most jails are not equipped to deal with the intense physical needs of someone dealing with recovery from 3rd degree burns who likely will need daily physical and occupational therapy as well as controlled substances to mitigate pain.
I think the most likely punishment will be confinement to some sort of recovery facility that can treat her physical and addiction needs. She will likely need care for the rest of her life. She will also be ordered to pay compensation.
Lolo
What drunk driver has ever had their license taken away for forever or been sent to jail for life?
It doesn’t happen. Sentences are incredibly easy on drunk drivers. I’ve been hit by 3.
@LUCY its traumatizing when people have compassion for my abuser because he’s an alcoholic. I know folks like you have a big heart and they look at the trauma abusers go through but geez, can we victims have a little of your compassion and understanding why we don’t have sympathy for addicts. Not the ones harming just themselves. But the ones who drive drunk (like anne) or beat their wives when they are drunk.
@Barbiem – I am sorry for what has happened to you. I understand. Believe me, I understand more than you can know and far more than I am willing to share. I may be in a different part of my (non-linear) recovery and healing phase than others, so please be careful with assumptions.
You can judge and still care about a person. If she was drunk or in any other way under the influence, it’s not even her actions at that point, it’s about everything that happens before that resulting in it.
Many people think they are owed anything when someone does something terrible. They don’t. You deserve safety of your own. That’s only acquired by healing the perp or keeping them away from society. And keeping that straight is tough enough as it is without people feeling the need to express anger on behalve of someone else.
I read someone saying they don’t get to rebuild because they rented? Dude…. They rented because they’re unable to build in the first place. Which is a good thing to be honest. “Rebuilding” a live has nothing to do with the stones surrounding you and everything with the people and relationships. And, as a big animal lover, pets don’t get traumatized from a house fire, as long as they don’t lose their humans in the end. You can move a dog half way around the world and the only thing they miss is their humans or sometimes fellow doggo’s (or gato’s) from their former surroundings. Even they have their social security.
It has not been established if she was intoxicated by alcohol or drugs! So many knee knee JERK reactionaries. Wait until facts are established, before you rush to judgement. Geez
Agree. It’s terrible she is critical condition, but if she got behind the wheel knowingly intoxicated then she deserves to be judged harshly.
No one even knows IF she was drunk or on drugs. She is also, as I remember, mentally ill. Stop Conclusion Jumping and wait for results. If she was Under the Influence, if she ever wakes up, I’m sure she will pay in more than 1 way for her crime. Unless you are the Coroner and know something the rest of us don’t?
oh come on, wake up.
No, she needs to wake up. I’m
Sure her estate will be paying the victims, or her insurance. I’m sure as Judge & Jury you’ve already made up your mind, but I like to see as many facts as possible.
I hope she is ok. And please read the real news and don’t get all your news from a gossip site.
Stef
I used to be very naive about substance abuse and alcoholism. And then I dated and lived with an alcoholic. Some things you just learn and know.
Also, Heche has a history of this. She’s been battling addiction for decades. She has driven drunk numerous times that have been caught and countless others where she has not. I hope to see you at the post where they confirm she was driving under the influence.
Simple put everyone, Occam’s Razor.
Hear hear another voice of reason.
Thank you, Stef. The speculation and “zero sympathy” comments yesterday were hard to read for those of with serious mental illness and/or addiction issues or loved ones who do. It’s not excusing her actions in any way to stop for a second and realize that she was not in her right mind that day and feel an ounce of compassion for her. It’s a tragedy all around.
This is not an either/or situation but you’re painting it in terms of black and white, right or wrong. All of us are horrified and very VERY sorry this happened to her, however the fact remains that she endangered the lives of OTHER PEOPLE. It’s an open secret that she’s struggled with addiction for a long time, which will exacerbate mental health conditions. This was a perfect storm and although most of us here feel a great deal of sympathy for her struggles, we also feel sorry for the people whose home and belongings she destroyed and her family who have to deal with this terrible situation.
Jaded – How on earth is my comment “painting it in terms or black or white”? I am literally speaking to the “zero sympathy” people. That’s not “all of us”. I have been very clear that it is a tragedy for everyone involved and there should be consequences for her – feel free to read all my comments on both posts if that is somehow unclear.
the posturing and virtue signaling about how compassionate YOU are and no one else is, a bit over the top ya know
Jaded
You’re just nailing all your comments here.
Wow. Just lovely.
+1 Stef and Lucy. So many judgmental, awful comments
Thank you, Lady BB. I’m going to have to leave this thread. It’s been very…eye opening. For the folks who are struggling – abiding with you.
Mentally ill people are not by nature, violent. No one gets a pass for nearly killing others. The excuse that “Well, she’s mentally ill stigmatises everyone with mental illness struggling to live their lives without prejudice.
She has had all of the resources in the world to get treatment and medical care. Even if she’s mentally ill or an addict, she’s responsible for her own behaviour.
If she somehow isn’t responsible, she needs to have her license taken away, and be placed in some sort of conservatorship. There is nothing in this world that excuses her behaviour.
Cars can be lethal weapons, as she showed repeatedly.
As we have seen many times, “having resources” isn’t a cure for mental illness and addiction.
Nobody is saying she should get a pass. Nobody is saying people aren’t responsible for their behavior when under the influence. Nobody is saying all mental ill folks are violent. “Resources” are never a cure. But the “zero sympathy” comments ARE stigmatizing to all the folks who work hard to function every single day. It’s been very disheartening to read these comments. Everyone is all for mental health until it gets uncomfortable.
Very disheartening. Treatment is not a cure and as noted so many times previously, healing is not linear.
Driving under the influence is wrong.
So is stigmatizing mental illness.
People with mental illness are like any other people. Some are jerks, some are nice. There are addicts that would never drive drunk. My mom has severe mental illness, was hospitalized many times, and tried desperately to keep it together and get treatment. One of my closest friends is the nicest person and his addiction was awful, he was suffering so much, but never hurt anyone. Addiction can drive behavior and change outlook, and it can be difficult to differentiate the person from their addiction. But I really think if you’re an entitled dick to begin with, you’re going to a raging asshole as an addict. If you’re a decent person, you’re going to grapple with it.
This whole attitude that because she has mental health issues and trauma this is somehow related to that is very disturbing, so thank you.
Most people with mental health issues do not hurt others and incest victims get plenty of unwarranted stigmatization in our culture, they don’t need more “help” being painted as uncontrollable missiles of destruction just so people can excuse what AH did.
Most trauma survivors are not out there hurting and endangering other people. But also, trauma is not an excuse to harm others. The end.
Thank you. I’ve struggled with depression and PTSD since childhood. I’ve never been violent. I’ve never had the desire to be violent. I’ve never driven drunk, either.
Mental illness can contribute to reckless behavior in some people, but it’s not a free pass to behave recklessly and harm others. And the majority of people who struggle with mental illness, and survive trauma, do not go on to harm others. That’s a stereotype that needs to die.
the picture on TMZ showed her looking pretty out of it, and what appeared to be a Smirnoff bottle in the console.
yes, she has had serious issues around mental illness, but it seems like she had been working pretty steadily over the last few years, both acting and directing.
Even if she survives, her life is over. She’s likely pretty badly disfigured from the burns, lung injury from smoke inhalation can cause permanent respiratory problems, plus she will have legal issues to address, both criminal and civil. She’ll NEVER get another job in H’wood.
she’s got 2 kids ?teenagers? I feel bad for them. I still think the crash was intentional and she never intended to survive it.
Did you see the video of them loading her into an ambulance? She was completely covered Even her head and the commentators thought the victim was dead. Then she rips thru whatever is covering her and sits up. Really surreal.
Carty
Her back looked fine. Her hair appeared to be there so at least there’s that. She was covered because of burn protocols. It’s sterile and to keep her warm as she’s in shock. Which probably explains why she jolted up.
@Susan, I agree in that I believe this may have been an attempt at suicide-by-crash. Heche’s brother died in a car crash and she said that she always believed that it was a suicide. I have no sympathy for someone who jeopardizes the lives of others in attempting to commit suicide. Quite a while ago near where I live there was the case of a truck driver who was involved in a very serious rear end accident on a highway that killed someone. He had run into and rear-ended their vehicle. It turned out that he had attempted suicide by doing that and this wasn’t discovered until he did the same thing again on a freeway that had been backed up and he ran his truck into the rear end of several vehicles and died from I believe a fire that was caused. I think he may have even killed one or more persons in that second suicide attempt. No sympathies for people like that. At. All.
Oh please! Whatever she was or wasn’t on, it’s obvious she shouldn’t have been behind the wheels. It was obvious after the FIRST crash.
Driving isn’t a right, it’s a privilege. You don’t drive if you’re in a state that might endanger others around you.
She was clearly not in any kind of state to make rational decisions. Obviously.
Being mentally ill isn’t a license to destroy the lives of others. Being an addict isn’t a license to destroy the lives of others. Have sympathy for her sure, but don’t just throw your hands up like this was an act of nature that no one had any control over. Addicts and mentally ill people also sometimes just make sh*tty, selfish decisions.
Who here is saying she shouldn’t be held accountable?! Who is throwing their hands up? Honestly.
Both things can be true.
She does have a long history of mental illness. She could’ve been having a mental break and also been drinking.
We know she was drinking heavily in the days before this accident. She admitted as much on her podcast where she was visibly/audibly drunk.
She had a bottle vodka in her car that day.
Is that definitive proof? No, but it strongly suggests she was drinking that day.
She was most certainly drunk.
I saw the video of her speeding down a residential street and it was so scary. She could have killed someone and almost killed that woman and her pets. If she was drunk she has to be held accountable. We all make mistakes but this was willful and dangerous to so many.
It really doesn’t matter if she was under the influence. That video is proof of reckless driving.
Given what they now describe of her injuries and condition, it will be a miracle if she survives this. Her risk of infection is incredibly high and in her state, it’s unlikely she would survive. I question whether her lungs will ever recover enough. If she does make it through, she will have a long a difficult road ahead and will never be the same.
I thought the same thing, I don’t know that she will survive such horrific injuries. I really feel for her children and loved ones right now, I can’t imagine the emotions they are dealing with. And part of that has to be relief that she didn’t hurt or kill anyone else, which is surprising given the situation.
Exactly this @Izzy. The chances of her surviving are almost negligible. Look up “burn sepsis”, it is an excruciating way to go. I have witnessed this many times, and wouldn’t wish the next few days in her life on my worst enemy. I feel so sorry for her family and loved ones.
The “pulmonary injury” reference in this statement is a reminder that she was sitting in that car in a burning house for almost an hour before firemen could pull her out. Even if she was not suffering from physical burns during that time, she was inhaling burning, smoky air. Just horrific. It’s a miracle she survived for that long until they could get her out.
I’m glad she did not hurt anybody else. But I cannot be on the side of “no sympathy for her” because she may have been drinking and driving. She is likely experiencing truly horrific injuries that could kill her. I certainly have sympathy for her and her family.
We are not privy to her charts so we shouldn’t speculate that.
What has been leaked isn’t coming from her doctors since she can’t give consent.
The coma is likely induced.
Everything else, who knows?
I hope she makes it.
The injuries and treatment don’t paint a positive picture.
I also hope she or her estate pay for that poor woman’s house and damages.
I heard there is a Go Fund Me for the owner of the home. I’m just wondering, wouldn’t insurance cover somethng like that? You’d think so.
The woman who lived there was a tenant, so any insurance on the home is going to the homeowner. Hopefully she had some sort of renter’s insurance to cover damage, but I’m sure there will be a lawsuit stemming from all this.
The Go Fund me has exceeded it’s original goal, that is going to be a huge help for her.
@lucy2
Oh ok…so the house was being rented by a family. I understand now. So the gofundme is for the family that was renting and not for the home owner. The emotional toll this will take on that family is insane. PTSD for sure.
I believe it was a woman and her pets.
Lucy2
Pets are family:)
Pets ARE family, but they don’t carry the legal liability that human family members would.
It is truly a miracle that no one else was injured or killed by Heche’s recklessness. Whether she was under the influence, or ever faces criminal charges, she is certainly accountable for the property damage and trauma suffered by that poor woman who was renting the house she destroyed. One can feel pity for her physical trauma and still recognize her culpability here.
One of the neighbors told the media that when he went to help the woman in the house, he saw that the car had actually gone through part of the house and come to a stop against an interior wall. I saw a photo of the car after the fire was put out. I honestly don’t know how she’s still alive.
Having listened to her discuss the absolute horrific sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her Father I’m not surprised at ( to me ) the self destructive qualities she displays. It’s clear to me when listening to her that she’s not close to healed. Having said that she could have easily killed numerous people. I’m hoping she fully recovers and makes restitution to that poor lady, then gets help she desperately needs….
I read about her family life yesterday – her father was a pastor and one of the first men in America diagnosed with AIDS. Very sad (but interesting!) fact…
I hope everyone in this situation finds the peace they deserve.
Looking at the house there was a large hedge in front of the home. I wonder in her drunken stupor. And yes I think she was drunk/high in addition to having a manic episode. And mistook that for a wall. She was going way too fast and was trying to kill herself.
The neighbor that pulled the wife and child out of the home and tried to help Anne. But the smoke/flames were too much Was a hero that risked their life to save others.
Wife and children? What article did you read?
I read it was a single woman with dogs and a tortoise.
My bad i thought i had read there was a child in the home.
They could use the Emergency Room blood draw which would have been immediately after the accident. No need for a deadline when a fresh draw is available. Couldn’t they get a subpoena to use that blood?
I assume they’d still need the warrant to collect anything taken in the ER due to medical privacy (but I’m not in legal just watch too many procedurals…)
No. there are very specific rules about this. Believe me, you do NOT want that. I can recall dozens of times in the ER that the cops tried to pressure us to give them information, draw blood, or perform searches on patients without the person’s consent or a warrant. “we don’t have a policewoman available so you need to check if she has a baggie of drugs in her vagina”.
nope. NOPE hell no. Doctors and nurses duty is to the patient, not to the police. I know there’s times like this where it seems wrong, but the 4th amendment protects you against “unreasonable search and seizure” and the cops need a warrant if they want your blood. and they are required to obtain their own, and evidentiary rules apply.
google “clenched buttocks legal case” if you are interested in learning more.
Yes, I remember the viral video of the SLC cop trying to pressure and arrest the nurse who wouldn’t do a blood draw without a warrant.
He was fired (and trying to sue for his job back). The nurse sued and got a nice settlement of 500K.
@susan, I’m talking about blood that has already been drawn on order of Dr or ER protocol that’s sitting in the lab. Couldn’t they get a warrant after the fact to gain access to that blood?
@JuliaK no, they cannot get a warrant after the fact to gain access to that blood.
simply put, it is part of her body that she owns. the government cannot take it. That’s the 4th amendment.
you may not like it in this case, but for every one of these instances there are *hundreds* of others where police demand searches or evidence that they do not have the right to acquire. Like I said above, google the “clenched buttocks legal case” for an example of how police abuse the rules, and how at times hospital staff enable them.
In addition if the cops had a warrant to obtain blood at some point after she was admitted, that should resolve the question. The body’s ability to metabolize alcohol is very linear and predictable. so if it was “x” at “y” hour the approximate level can be calculated going back at least 6-8 hours before.
do people who commit crimes or drive drunk sometimes walk? yes. (I’m looking at you, Tiger Woods). but Heche’s legal jeopardy-if she survives-is already huge even without a charge of drunk driving.
Two things can be true at the same time here:
1. If she was intoxicated, she is responsible for her own actions and endangering the welfare of others.
2. She is also a person and a loved one of others, and is deserving of empathy and wishes for her recovery.
💯 agree Kirsten. Wanting her held accountable for what she has put dozens of people (including her family) through does not make me unable to feel sad at the horrible situation she is now in herself. Anne Heche’s loved ones and the homeowner will also carry scars from her addiction and mental illness, they just won’t be as visible as hers.
This is all so incredibly sad. First, I’m sad an innocent woman was traumatized by all of this and she lost all of her possessions. She and her pets came so close to dying and that has be incredibly traumatic. I have certain things I am attached to in my home now: pictures of my parents, artwork and a few pieces of jewelry that were part of my inheritance, artwork my teenager did as a toddler and little kid – that are irreplaceable and if I lost those things I would come undone because they are so sentimental. This woman lost everything. And she was renting – I pray she had renter’s insurance, but let’s face it many people don’t. Thank God she got all of her pets out and it’s a miracle she escaped uninjured.
The neighbor who rescued the woman and tried to rescue Anne is a hero. Incredibly brave.
As for Anne, I’m so sad for her. I’m aware of the abuse she suffered as a child and her father was the perpetrator. It’s possible she had a mental break. Her grabbing her hairdresser’s face is concerning to me. It’s also quite probable that she was drunk or high. If that is the case, she needs to be prosecuted if she pulls through. Driving under the influence is beyond irresponsible. The speed at which she was traveling through that neighborhood was just reckless. It’s a miracle she didn’t kill someone. There will be long term criminal and legal consequences for her if she survives this. And even if she were sober, she is guilty of reckless driving. She endangered others.
That having been said, anyone who has sustained a burn knowns its is one of the most painful things you can experience. I try not to think about anyone burning in their car. It’s a horrific experience I don’t wish on anyone. I feel very sorry for Anne and even sorrier for the innocent woman who did nothing wrong that day – and thank God she was home because her pets would have died had she not been there to get them out.
If this is infact due to her being drunk, I have ZERO sympathy for her. I f*cking hate drunk drivers. They are scum of the earth. Thank God she didn’t kill anyone.
I saw the video of her speeding down a residential street and it was so scary. She could have killed someone and almost killed that woman and her pets. If she was drunk she has to be held accountable. She has had several prior traffic stops and issue. Her license should probably have been taken away before. We all make mistakes but this was willful and dangerous to so many.
I don’t think it was a suicide attempt. That seems odd…to plow into a house and potentially kill innocent people. TMZ caught her hours earlier with what appeared to be a bottle of alcohol in her car. I don’t know but thank God she didn’t kill anyone.
Do the people saying she needs to be “held accountable” and “punished” understand the reality of her situation? What is even the point? There is no punishment our courts could mete that would be more severe than what she is facing for the rest of her life. If she survives at all.
A few years ago, I accidentally poured sizzling hot cooking oil over my hand. I started going into shock in the ER, had to spend a week in a specialized burn unit (the stepped down portion, not the intensely sterile critical care section I bet Heche is in), have surgery, and months of rehabilitation. Beyond just the constant pain (think of the worst sunburn you have ever had and multiply it by 50), the pain of daily debridement and bandage changes would make my teeth chatter and my whole body tremor.
All I burned was my hand. From reports, it sounds like she not only sustained almost full body burns externally, but internal burns as well. There is every likelihood that she also sustained significant brain swelling and damage – not uncommon in inferno situations. On top of years of excruciating pain, hospitalizations and surgeries, she may have memory problems, speech problems, paralysis, and more.
To me, it seems exceptionally blood thirsty to be focused on how our criminal justice system should punish her more.
I agree.
I’m sorry for what you experienced from an accident. Yes, burns are terribly painful and severe burns on large portions of the body isn’t something you can ever totally recover from, even if you survive your injuries. But, this was not an accident. It was beyond reckless driving. I don’t care about jail time, but I sure hope that every penny she has goes to the people whose proprieties she damaged, their livelihood shouldn’t depend on go fund me and the kindness of strangers when she is the sole responsible for the wreckage. It’s awful for her kids/the succession, but it’s entirely her fault. I’m pretty sure that’s what most of us mean when speaking of accountability. She’s in a terrible situation and is suffering and might not make it through, but it doesn’t cancel the damages and pain she caused to others who just happened to be in her way.
OriginalMich I’m so sorry it sounds like you went through hell. I’m a whiny baby over sunburns I can’t even imagine what you endured. The hour she spent in that car must have been pure hell. I agree with everyone that she needs to be held accountable, but also she has already punished herself horribly. And I feel horrible for her family, loved ones and the people affected by now being homeless or scared at what else might come roaring down the street after this event. That is the problem with abuse and trauma. It spreads. Heche is 💯 responsible for her actions, but we as a country and world would do well to better protect children from the Desmond that often activate addiction and mental health challenges.
Am I missing something? Whatever she may or may not have been under the influence of must surely be out of her system by now?
Peridot wrote in the article: “LAPD got the warrant the day of the crash because the blood draw has to be done within hours.” So they’re still waiting I guess, although, yes, it’s a long time.
Blood would have been drawn when she was admitted to help with her treatment. I’m guessing the warrant would be for some of that blood to be tested for alcohol/drugs.
I’m assuming the doctors would need to know if anything was in her system that would affect her treatment, wouldn’t they?
Ohhh, this makes way more sense. I didn’t realize there had been TWO accidents. I saw something about the DUI hit and run and I was like “there’s no way that was a hit and run if she had to be pulled from the flaming wreck.”
Yes, in a video you can see her hitting the side of a building (I think). There is a man yelling at her to stop but she drives off.
That incident happened just prior to the house crash. Bystanders were trying to get her to stop and to get out of the car but she just sped away.
I’m surprised a warrant was necessary. I thought blood tests for drugs/alcohol were automatic/mandatory in these types of car accidents.
The hospital almost certainly did a blood draw so that they know how to best treat her; it’s likely the warrant is for access to that routine bloodwork (that would show BAC) and not for a separate draw.
Regardless of everything else, if she survives, she’s going to need serious painkillers for a long time. Given her history, the pain of burns, the possibility she was trying to kill herself, etc., I’m not sure she survives this, even if she survives the coma and injuries.
The coma is helpful. I’m betting it’s induced.
I’m thinking more along the lines of her surviving this part, and then having access to dangerous, addictive painkillers folks sometimes use to kill themselves.
If she was already suicidal, and she pulls through but is disfigured and in immense pain, plus access to dangerous painkillers and history of addiction – – not a great combination.
I’d be afraid to send her home with a bottle of pills.
Andi
I’m reading people thinking she was suicidal. Where is this coming from? Did she make a threat earlier that day?
The pain management will be difficult. There are less addictive alternatives at a certain point, but people rarely go for them.
I had horrible burns from dumping boiling pasta water too fast that splashed onto my stomach. My shirt became one with my raw skin. I have a fear of getting addicted so I never went on anything. It’s not easy even on that level.
@wiglet watcher. I may very well be wrong but I believe that it may have been a suicide attempt for two reasons. First, Heche believed that her brother committed suicide by crashing his vehicle into a tree. Second, in looking at the aerial photos of the crash site if she was going at a high rate of speed she had to have made a very hard turn into that house given the way that her vehicle ended up in the house (nearly perpendicular to the street). It looked intentional. She also had previously crashed her vehicle into a garage and it is my understanding she has a history of serious mental issues.
This is a reply to @Andi. With the type of severe burns Anne Heche has, she would be given IV Morphine for many, many months while in the hospital. She can’t help but to become addicted and it will be a struggle to find the right combination of pain management for her when and if she does return home. It’s a horrible situation for all involved and from what I’ve read I find it doubtful that she will survive her horrific injuries.
I read that she’s in extremely critical condition. Also not sure if she’ll make it. Sad all around, for everyone involved.
My niece in law was a NASA Astronaut. She was a flight surgeon, a commercial pilot instructor, and was goimmg to command the shuttle flight that exploded. She was on a pilot check out flight, and the guy she was with crashed the plane. She ended up with 3rd degree burns over 90% of her body, but was able to call her Husband Scott and tell him what had happened and where they were life-flighting her, and they told each other they loved them. She got to the Hospital, and they put her in a medically induced coma but most unfortunately she died on day 3. I am still wrecked about it. With that much pulmanary damage, the major risk immediately behind infection is suffocation from the lungs filling up with fluid. as a reaction to the burn inflammation. If Anne survives the first week her survival chances ho way up. Honestly, it isn’t looking very good.