- Anne Heche had drugs in her system when she died, a coroner has found.
- The coroner said the drugs did not harm her or cause her death.
- Heche tested positive for cannabinoids in her urine and benzoylecgonine, the coroner said.
Anne Heche had drugs in her system when she died in a car accident in August, but the presence of drugs did not affect her or cause her death, a Los Angeles coroner said.
Heche drove her car into a Los Angeles home on August 5, starting a fire that ultimately caused her death on august 13.
He tested positive for cocaine, cannabinoids and fentanyl in a urine test taken at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital after the crash, according to a report from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner on Tuesday that was reviewed by Insider.
A blood test performed when Heche arrived at the hospital showed evidence of benzoylecgonine, the inactive metabolite of cocaine, in Heche’s body, meaning that she had used the drug in the past but had not used it at the time of the accident. according to the report. he said.
The same is true of the cannabinoids, which were detected in Heche’s urine, not her blood, which is “consistent with prior use, but not at the time of injury,” a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office said. of Los Angeles County.
The presence of fentanyl came from the drug Heche was given at the hospital, the spokesperson said, making it “consistent with therapeutic use.”
No alcohol was found in Heche’s system.
Coroners ruled Heche’s death an accident caused by inhalation and thermal injuries. According to the coroner’s report, Heche was trapped in her burning car for 30 minutes before first responders were able to safely remove her.
The report added that a fractured sternum from the crash “significantly contributed to the death” because it prevented Heche from breathing properly.
The inhalation injuries caused “changes in the respiratory system that decrease oxygen intake necessary to sustain life,” resulting in anoxic brain injury, which is injury sustained “due to lack of oxygen,” according to the report. .
