Anne Heche estate sued by woman whose home was destroyed in fatal car crash
Anne Heche’s estate has been sued by the woman whose Los Angeles home was destroyed in the car crash that killed Heche.
Heche, 53, died Aug. 14 after she was removed from life support nine days after she crashed her Mini Cooper into Lynne Mishele’s home in Mar Vista, sparking a fire.
Calling the crash a “horrific and tragic incident,” the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, says Mishele and her pets nearly died in the incident Aug. 5. It seeks at least $2 million in damages.
Heche’s vehicle, the lawsuit says, barreled through the front of Mishele’s home before it came “to a halt just feet away” from her; her two dogs, Bree and Reuben; and her tortoise, Marley.
“Thankfully, [Mishele] and her pets, which she regards as family, avoided death that day,” the lawsuit says. However, it says, the incident left Mishele "completely traumatized" and "without a place to live."
"As a direct consequence of Heche’s outrageous conduct and unlawful acts, [Mishele] and her beloved pets almost lost their lives, not to mention that [Mishele] also had an entire life’s worth of her personal possessions destroyed in the fire," including mementos from her deceased parents, who both passed away in 2020, the lawsuit says.
A representative for Heche's estate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The crash, which caused a fire, was ruled an accident by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
A Los Angeles police spokesman had said police were investigating the crash as a felony DUI collision. However, after Heche — who made her mark in Hollywood with roles in "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" — was declared brain-dead, police said there would be no more investigative efforts.
Mishele's lawsuit asks for at least $2 million, which could rise depending on the total value of damage from the crash.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
