Anne Heche died of smoke inhalation and the thermal injuries she sustained in her car accident on August 5.
The LA County coroner’s office cited a sternal rupture from blunt force trauma as a contributing factor to her death, which was ruled accidental.
According to the National Institute of Health, sternal fractures result from a person’s chest hitting the handlebars, with a slightly higher prevalence in female drivers.
Heche was declared brain dead on August 12 and taken off the ventilator on August 15.
“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyous soul, a loving mother and a faithful friend. Anne will be deeply missed, but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work and her passionate advocacy,” the actress’s representative told us at the time.
“Her courage to always stand in her truth and spread her message of love and acceptance will have a lasting impact.”
Heche was kept on a ventilator to keep her heart beating so One Legacy could determine her suitability for organ donation.
The “Men in Trees” actress crashed her car into a Los Angeles home in the Mar Vista neighborhood on Aug. 5.