Police believe actress Anne Heche was drunk driving when she crashed her car into a house on Friday, sparking a fire.
Law enforcement officials said Heche was considered to be under the influence and acting erratically, according to the Los Angeles Times.
TMZ had speculated that a bottle visible in images of Heche’s car before the crash contained alcohol.
No tests to determine whether she was indeed under the influence were done because of her condition, Page Six reported.
Heche, 53, had initially been listed in critical condition with severe burns. Her condition was upgraded on Saturday.
“Anne is currently in stable condition,” a representative for her said. “Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during this difficult time.”
Friday’s fiery finale was preceded by the actress smashing her blue Mini Cooper into an apartment building. When bystanders tried to get her out of the car, she drove off, ultimately hitting a house.
Witness Lynne Bernstein said Heche’s car went “almost all the way through” the house and “almost immediately” caught fire, according to People.
Here’s the now mangled vehicle owned by actress Anne Heche being towed away after speeding and crashing into a Mar Vista home and sparking a fire. @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/rRSqnM1YDt
— Rachel Kim (@CBSLARachel) August 6, 2022
When another bystander reached Heche, “She responded that she wasn’t doing real well,” Bernstein said.
“He asked her to raise her hand or something … if she was OK and she said she couldn’t.”
Bernstein said the man trying to help Heche was “overcome by the smoke.”
It took dozens of firefighters over an hour to extinguish the flames, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department news release. The department said the home was “heavily damaged.”
Bernstein said Heche was fortunate to be alive.
“We were just looking inside, going, ‘How could you survive that?’ Because we had a hard time breathing even outside of the house,” Bernstein said. “So somebody was watching out over her, I guess. I mean, as seriously injured she may be.”
