Anne Heche was in a car crash last month in Los Angeles and according to newly released fire department records, she was trapped for about 45 minutes before being rescued.
After the 53-year-old actress crashed her Mini Cooper into a house in the Mar Vista neighborhood on August 5, NBC4 released timestamped audio file recordings of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s response on Thursday. The recordings show that it took at least 20 minutes for firefighters to reach Heche’s car and another 20 minutes to remove it from the burning house.
“Given the heavy fire and smoke conditions, it wasn’t that you could clearly see into the vehicle or clearly be able to access it,” LAFD Deputy Chief Richard Fields told NBC4.
At 11:01 a.m., the LAFD arrived, and a firefighter later confirmed to the outlet that “a person was stuck inside the vehicle.” (Fields made clear to the station that he was referring to the house’s owner, not Heche.)
On the 11:18 mark, a firefighter announced that there were no further casualties. “We do have no patients at this time,” the responder said. One of the incident commanders double checked the firefighter’s report at 11:22 a.m. “Let me clear this up, so – you do have a patient in the car?” they asked.
Three minutes later, Heche’s body was sited in the vehicle, as a responder stated, “We have identified one patient, inaccessible at this time, he’s pushed up against the floorboard!” For the record, Fields said that the Men in Trees star was not behind the wheel but rather had passed out beneath the front seats of her Mini Cooper.
“I will say that where the person was in the vehicle was not in the driver’s seat, but on the floorboard of the passenger seat,” Fields said. Around 11:49 a.m., the actress was recovered from the wreckage. “We have one patient in the auto, being assessed, about to be loaded up on the gurney for transport,” another firefighter said during the recording.
The Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital took over Heche’s care after initial treatment at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, she passed away a week later from smoke inhalation and thermal burns.
Man is found guilty of sexually abusing a child in Texas when his victims’ parents discover a letter the child sent to God. “Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother and a loyal friend,” a rep for the star told sources in a statement on behalf of Heche’s 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. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”
Homer Heche, Heche’s eldest son, expressed his sadness in an exclusive message to sources. “My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom,” he said. “After six days of nearly amazing emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless grief. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.”
He continued by thanking people worldwide for their outpouring of support for him and his family. “Over those six days, thousands of friends, family and fans made their hearts known to me,” he says. “I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley and my stepmom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you.”
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