The woman whose home was destroyed when Anne Heche drove her car into it is suing the late actress' estate. Photo / Supplied
The woman whose home was destroyed when Anne Heche drove her car into it is suing the late actress' estate. Photo / Supplied
Anne Heche’s estate is being sued by the woman whose home was destroyed in the late star’s fatal car crash in August.
Lynne Mishele’s lawyers filed documents in the Superior Court of California on November 9, reports People. She is requesting “at least $2 million” (NZ$3.2m) in damages due to “negligence”, “trespass”, and “infliction of emotional distress”.
According to the documents, Mishele states she was “working from home when she was stunned by the dramatic force of Heche’s vehicle slamming through the front wall and driving through the living room, kitchen, home office, and primary room closet before settling into the laundry/storage room of her house”.
According to the documents, “the front end of the car, incredibly, came to a halt just feet away from Plaintiff and her pets: two dogs named Bree and Rueben and a tortoise named Marley”.
Mishele was described as “terrified, severely traumatised, and without a place to live”.
At the time of the crash, she was only wearing a tank top and sweatpants and did not have shoes on. Her home and personal property, including photos, clothing, laptop, iPad and other household items and mementos were destroyed in the fire caused by the fatal crash and she continues to suffer “severe emotional distress and professional hardship”, the filing read.
“Plaintiff has been unable to sleep and is battling acute anxiety and depression. She has also been unable to operate her home business because of her physical displacement and fragile mental health caused by Defendants’ irresponsible behavior. She has received counselling, but remains traumatised by Defendant’s actions.”
Lynne Mishele lost nearly everything after actress Anne Heche crashed into her house at high speed. Photo / GoFundMe
In August, Mishele’s neighbour Lynne Bernstein told People she was “extremely fortunate” to survive the incident without injuries after Heche crashed her car into her home and caused it to catch fire.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the accident caused “heavy fire” and “structural compromise” to the one-storey home.
Heche was driving a Mini Cooper when she crashed, causing the residence to catch fire. Heche was hospitalised and intubated, but she never regained consciousness and her death has since been ruled an accident.
After the news of Heche’s death broke, Michele sent “love” to the star’s family for their “devastating” loss.
In a video posted to her business Instagram account, Creative Organisation, she sent her condolences to Heche’s family and “her children specifically”.
“This entire situation is tragic and there really are just no words,” she said in the clip.
