What are thermal injuries? Anne Heche's cause of death revealed days after fiery car crash

Late American actress Anne Heche's official cause of death was pinned to "inhalation and thermal injuries," as per reports by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

On August 5, Heche crashed her Mini Cooper into a house located in Los Angeles' Mar Vista neighborhood. In the impact of the crash, her car "burst into flames and came to rest 30 feet inside the two-story home," according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The actress sustained life-threatening burns in the incident.

It is these burns, deemed "thermal injuries" that ultimately led to her death. The National Library of Medicine defines thermal burns/injuries as follows:

"Skin injuries caused by excessive heat, typically from contact with hot surfaces, hot liquids, steam, or flames."

Additionally, the coroner's report also stated that the actress suffered a "sternal fracture due to blunt trauma,” which was also a crucial factor in her death.

The National Institutes of Health states that such fractures are caused when a person's chest strikes the steering wheel.

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Anne Heche suffered anoxic brain injury, was on life support

Following her horrible car accident, Anne Heche was attended to by emergency personnel on the scene, before being transported to a hospital because of her critical condition. There, she slipped into a coma and did not "regain consciousness."

The Six Days Seven Nights actress sustained severe burns and anoxic brain injury as a result of the crash. Shepherd Center defines anoxic brain injury as being a total loss of oxygen to the brain, which causes brain cells to die after around four minutes of oxygen scarcity.

Heche passed away on August 11 and her death was declared an accident. A day later, her family announced that the actress was brain dead, which as per the California law is equal to being legally dead.

However, she remained on life support to allow the OneLegacy Foundation to match her organs for donations, her family's rep stated at the time.

Anne Heche was taken off life support on August 14 at California's Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

Subsequent investigations into the crash revealed that the late actress was intoxicated with cocaine during her collision.

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In brief, about Anne Heche

Anne Heche began her acting career in 1987 when she appeared in a romantic television series named Another World. She later went on to appear in several other films and series such as An Ambush of Ghosts, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Psycho, Toxic Skies, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Legend of Korra, Adventure Time, Aftermath, and more.

The actress last appeared in the role of Corrine Cuthbert in the drama series, All Rise.

Heche was the mother of two children, Homer Laffoon (20), whom she shared with former husband Coleman “Coley” Laffoon, and Atlas Heche Tupper (13) with ex-partner James Tupper.