Anne Heche's autopsy confirms 'no evidence of impairment by illicit substances' during crash
Anne Heche's autopsy has confirmed the substances in her system at the time of her death did not impair the actress.
According to a Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner's report, obtained by Page Six on Tuesday, while the late 13 Minutes star had illicit substances in her system at the time of her death, they were determined not to be a key factor in the car accident that killed her.
Heche died in August after crashing her Mini Cooper into a house in California. Both her car and the residence caught fire.
The coroner's report revealed a urine toxicology screen was positive for cocaine, cannabis, benzodiazepines, and fentanyl. The substances, however, were in Heche's system from earlier use or were supplied to her in the hospital, and "there was no indication of impairment by illicit narcotics at the time of the crash".
According to People, the report also cited no alcohol in Heche's system.
The medical examiner ruled Heche's death was accidental and caused by inhalation and thermal injuries.
The fracture to her sternum was treated as secondary, though the coroner noted it would have made it "painful while breathing when she was in her vehicle".
The examiner also estimated Heche was trapped in her car for half an hour before first responders were able to extricate her. During that time, her car was charred, her clothes almost entirely burned off, and she suffered second-degree burns on 12 per cent of her body.
