An unknown person on the scene moments after Anne Heche crashed her car into a Los Angeles house tried to help the actress by opening the back of the vehicle, but was unable to extricate her before fire broke out, according to the 911 call reporting the wreck.
CNN reported Wednesday that it heard the 911 call placed by a neighbor of the house that Anne Heche crashed into, an accident – which the Los Angeles County coroner officially labeled it Wednesday – that would ultimately lead to the actress’ death at age 53.
The Aug. 5 call starts with an observation from the caller: “A car just went through my neighbor’s house.” According to CNN, the caller said everyone in the home was accounted for, but wasn’t sure how many people were inside.
“Somebody is opening the back to see if we can access because they’re kinda trapped … inside the car,” the caller told the dispatcher. In the background of the call, a voice yelled “fire!” The dispatcher tried to determine whether the voice was indicating that the fire was in the car or in the house.
According to the caller, Heche’s car was traveling so fast that it wound up two rooms into the house. The caller also stated that the fire from the car was turning “really black” while someone else in the background yelled that there was someone (Heche) trapped inside. Paramedics arrived while the caller was still on the phone.
The crash happened in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. The resulting fire required 59 firefighters to extinguish, while the homeowner and her pets made it out of the building unharmed.
Shortly after the crash, Heche fell into a coma. She was taken off life support on August 14.
Also Wednesday, the Los Angeles County coroner released its report, calling Heche’s death an accident. “Inhalation and thermal injuries [burns]” were given as the primary cause, with a “sternal fracture due to blunt trauma” listed under “other significant conditions.” That report confirms what authorities and Heche’s reps said about her injuries at the time.