Anne Heche dead at 53 after car crash

Editor's note: The article was updated with the news of the death of Anne Heche.

Hollywood actress Anne Heche had died. The Emmy Award-winning actress was 53.

"Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend," a representative for Heche said in a statement on behalf of her family and friends.

"Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy," the statement added. "Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact."

People magazine reported, "Heche is legally dead according to California law, her heart is still beating and she has not been taken off life support in order to allow OneLegacy Foundation enough time to find recipients who will be a match."

Heche suffered fatal injuries in a fiery car crash on Aug. 5.

Heche had been driving her Mini Cooper in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles when she reportedly crashed into a garage at an apartment building complex. Residents reportedly attempted to pull her out of her vehicle, but she sped away.

A Ring doorbell camera captured Heche's Mini Cooper speeding down a residential street.

Heche then plowed into a home – igniting a dangerous fire that engulfed the car and the house. Heche was trapped in the car for 65 minutes until 59 firefighters could put out the fire and rescue her.

A neighbor, Lynn Bernstein, said the car drove "almost all the way through" the house and "almost immediately" caught fire.

The celebrity actress was unconscious, suffered from severe burns, and was taken to the hospital.

Heche has been in critical condition and in a coma ever since being admitted at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital, north of Los Angeles.

The "Six Days and Seven Nights" star suffered a severe anoxic brain injury – which is caused when the brain is denied oxygen and kills cells.

“Based on the blood work, it revealed the presence of narcotics,” Officer Lizeth Lomeli of the Los Angeles Police Department told Deadline. LAPD spokesperson Jeff Lee confirmed that a blood sample showed Heche had narcotics in her system.

The LAPD issued a statement saying, "The case is being investigated as felony DUI traffic collision."

The Emmy-winning actress recently starred in the TV shows "Chicago P.D." and "All Rise" and was a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2020.

Heche has a 13-year-old son and a 20-year-old son from two different relationships.

Heche slammed her car into the home of Lynne Mishele – who was able to able to escape the blaze with her two dogs and a pet tortoise.

Mishele lawyer Shawn Holley said in a statement, "Ms. Mishele is devastated by what happened to her on Friday — not only because she and her pets almost lost their lives, but because all of her property, including items of profound sentimental value, were destroyed."

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to "help Lynne start over" after she lost "her entire lifetime of possessions, mementos, all equipment for her business including her laptop and iPad, all of her clothing and basic necessities, and all household items."

The crowdfunding campaign raised more than $140,000 for Mishele.

GoFundMe