The official cause of death for actress Anne Heche has been revealed nearly a week after her death.

The Six Days Seven Nights star passed away at 53 years old after a tragic fiery car crash earlier this month sent her to the hospital with severe injuries. According to Page Six, these injuries ultimately led to her death. The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner listed the actress' cause of death as smoke inhalation and thermal injuries as a result of burns sustained in the crash.

The medical examiner, who previously ruled her death an accident, also reported Heche suffered a sternal fracture due to blunt trauma that was a significant factor in her death. Sternal fractures typically occur when a person's chest hits the steering wheel.

Heche was believed to have been under the influence when she sped her car through a Los Angeles neighborhood on August 5, ultimately crashing into a home where her car caught fire. She was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries but never recovered from the crash. After days in a coma, she was declared brain dead on August 12. As an organ donor, she was kept on life support until August 15 so organ recipients could be found.

FCC Applications