Heche, 53, spent a week on life support after an Aug. 5 crash in which she plowed her blue Mini Cooper into a Los Angeles home and suffered severe anoxic brain injury and lung damage from smoke inhalation.
She was declared brain dead on Friday, a week after the crash, which in California means a person has died, although she was kept on life support to preserve her organs while authorities tried to find people who could use them.
Surgeons are now ready to remove multiple organs, unnamed sources told TMZ on Sunday, though they did not disclose which ones or how many.
As a result, TMZ reports, Heche was to be euthanized on Sunday, more than a week after she was left in her burning car for half an hour while 59 firefighters tried to save her.
Heche is survived by her sons Homer and Atlas.
Anne Heche, 53, was due to be euthanized on Sunday after health officials found suitable recipients for the organs
Heche remained on life support for more than a week after she crashed her blue Mini Cooper into a Los Angeles home and suffered severe anoxic brain injury and lung damage from smoke inhalation. She is pictured here being carried on a stretcher
Authorities say Hetse first crashed into a garage, then sped away from the scene at 90 miles per hour into the two-story home of Lynne Mishele, who was injured badly enough for police to launch a felony investigation.
Horrifying footage showed the actress speeding straight down a busy road moments before the accident.
It took 59 firefighters more than an hour to extinguish the burning house – and half an hour to extricate Heche from the burning car, which exploded in the crash.
A small bottle of vodka was pictured in Heche’s car, but preliminary blood tests taken after her hospitalization found no alcohol in her system.
Police sources told TMZ this week that preliminary blood tests, using blood drawn while Heche was in the hospital, did however detect cocaine in her system.
And tests also showed fentanyl, but because hospitals also use fentanyl for pain relief, it’s currently unclear if it was in her blood at the time of the accident.
The actress turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the psychological effects of her traumatic childhood, during which she was sexually abused by her openly gay father, who died of AIDS.
By Thursday, Heche’s team said she was “not expected to survive” her injuries in the crash, and the very next day, her family issued a statement saying she was now presumed dead.
“Today we have lost a shining light, a kinder and happier soul, a loving mother and a loyal friend.
“Anne will be greatly missed, but lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic work and her passionate advocacy.
“Her bravery to always stand by her truth, to spread the message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”
A small bottle of vodka was pictured in Heche’s car, but preliminary blood tests taken after her hospitalization found no alcohol in her system. She did, however, show that she had cocaine and fentanyl in her system at the time the blood was drawn at the hospital
Authorities say Heche barreled into a two-story Mar Vista home at 90 mph on Aug. 5
The impact of the crash ignited a large fire, which took 59 firefighters an hour to extinguish
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the crash caused “structural compromise and explosion to heavy fire.” Heche’s Mini Clubman is featured here next
The Los Angeles Police Department subsequently announced it was dropping its felony investigation into the crash.
“As of today, no further investigative efforts will be made in this case,” the LAPD said in a statement.
“Any information or records that have been requested by the authorities prior to this development will continue to be collected upon arrival as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we don’t show up for examination.”
They explained to People that this means “no further investigative efforts will be made in this case,” but “any information or records requested prior to this turn of events will continue to be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities. ‘
A neighbor’s video of the aftermath of the crash shows smoke billowing from the Mar Vista home as firefighters continued to battle the blaze
The house was eventually deemed unlivable, leaving Lynne Mishele without her possessions
Luckily, Mishele was in a separate part of the house with her dogs when the accident happened that morning
The house where Heche crashed on August 5 is owned by Jennifer Durand, but was rented by Lynne Mishele.
Luckily, Mishele was in a different part of the house when the accident happened and escaped unharmed, along with her two dogs Bree and Rueban and her turtle Marley.
But the crash made the house uninhabitable, compromising the building’s structural integrity, and Mishele was forced to leave the house immediately after the crash.
Along with losing the home, Mishele also lost “her entire life of possessions, memorabilia, all of her business equipment including her laptop and iPad, all of her clothing and basic necessities,” according to a GoFundMe he set up for her.
“With the help of firefighters, he was able to pull some damaged sentimental items from the wreckage. Everything else is gone.’
Mishele was photographed looking on in disbelief as her life’s work went up in a fireball after the actress ripped through it at breakneck speed.
She was seen on the pavement outside with her hands in her pockets looking dazed as firefighters battled the massive blaze, which took an hour to extinguish.
But in a video statement on Instagram, Mishele expressed her sorrow for Heche and her family.
“The news of Anne Heche’s death is devastating,” he said in the video.
“Her family and her friends and her children have suffered a great loss and my heart goes out to them.
“This whole situation is tragic and there really are no words. Sending love to all involved.’
Lynne Mishele, who was renting the home, later released a video statement expressing her grief over Heche’s death
Meanwhile, Heche’s ex-husband Coley Laffoon broke his silence on Heche’s death in a video statement on Saturday.
In the video, posted on his Instagram, Laffoon says: “After Anne passed away, I just wanted to say a few things: One, I love and miss her, and always will. Two, Homer is fine.”
“Of course he’s grieving, and it’s rough, it’s very rough, one can probably imagine,” Lafoon continued. “But he’s surrounded by family and he’ll be fine.
“So for all those people checking in, thank you for checking in, showing us your heart, offering prayers and everything.
‘It is so beautiful. Thanks.
“It’s hard for me, it’s hard for me, it’s hard for my family, it’s really hard for Homer, but we’ve got each other ad we’ve got a lot of support and we’re going to be OK.”
Laffoon added that he believes “Anne is pain free and enjoying her experience, whatever is next in her journey.
“She came in hot and had a lot to say and was brave and fearless, loved her dearly and was never afraid to let us know what she thought and believed,” he noted.
“It was all about love, goodbye, Anna.
I love you, thanks for the good times, there were so many.
“And in the meantime, I had our son and he’s going to be fine.”
