US actress Anne Heche not expected to survive, says family

US actress Anne Heche is not expected to survive, her family has said, after a car crash earlier this week that left her vehicle engulfed in flames.

She remains in a coma and had "a severe anoxic brain injury," they said - when the brain is deprived of oxygen, reports BBC. 

"We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne's recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses," they added.

Her car crashed into a two-storey home in Los Angeles last week.

Police said on Friday that preliminary blood tests have revealed the presence of drugs in her system - but extra testing was needed to rule out any substances given in hospital.

The Los Angeles Police Department told PA news agency the incident was being investigated as a felony driving-under-the-influence traffic collision.

The 53-year-old mother-of-two has featured in films including Donnie Brasco, Cedar Rapids and the 1998 Psycho remake.

Heche has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars, the US's equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing.

She is also the former partner of US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

According to the LA Fire Department, Heche's vehicle "erupted in heavy fire" after it was driven 30ft (9.1m) into a two-storey home, leaving the property "uninhabitable".

She is being cared for at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital and is on life support to determine whether her organs are viable for donation, her family said in their statement.