Anne Heche Had No Narcotics in Her System at Time of Fatal Car Crash, According to Final Toxicology Report

The LA County coroner said she was free of intoxicants, debunking early reports that she was “under the influence” of cocaine

Anne Heche
Anne Heche at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (Getty Images)

Anne Heche had no narcotics in her system when she crashed her car into a Los Angeles home in August, sparking a fire that caused her fatal injuries, according to a final toxicology report.

A week after the Aug. 5 crash, TMZ reported that Heche was “under the influence” of cocaine and possibly fentanyl, but not alcohol, citing law enforcement sources. An L.A. police spokesperson told TheWrap at the time that Heche, still clinging to life, was under investigation for felony DUI.

But on Tuesday, the LA County coroner said a final toxicology report showed the presence of benzoylecgonine, an inactive cocaine metabolite that only indicates past use. “Therefore there was no evidence of impairment by illicit substances at the time of the crash,” the coroner said.

A urine toxicology result detected “medications given to her after being treated in the hospital (including fentanyl) and prior use of marijuana, but not at the time of injury.” 

The new toxicology report corroborates the account of an LA salon owner, who said the “Six Days, Seven Nights” actress visited his shop just minutes before the crash and seemed sweet and “coherent.”

Heche crashed her Mini Cooper into a an apartment garage earlier that morning, managed to get free as residents tried to help, and then sped away. Moments later she went careening down a residential street at high speed, plowing into a home where the street came to a “T” intersection.

The homeowner narrowly escaped injury. Heche was trapped inside her car for more than 30 minutes while the house burned, then was seen popping up from a gurney after firefighters finally extricated her and were wheeling her into an ambulance. She succumbed to her injuries the following week at age 53.

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