Anne Heche: US actress remains in critical condition after car crash

Anne Heche attended the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards in California in March

Actress Anne Heche is still in a coma after a car crash left her vehicle "engulfed in flames", her representative has confirmed.

The star of films such as Donnie Brasco was taken to hospital following the collision on Friday in Los Angeles.

A spokesperson told the PA news agency: "Previous reports stating that Anne Heche was stable were inaccurate.

"Shortly after the accident, Anne became unconscious, slipping into a coma and is in critical condition."

The statement continued: "She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention."

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

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

They confirmed that a female adult found within the vehicle had been taken to hospital by LAFD paramedics in a "critical condition", while the home's occupant had escaped without injury.

"59 firefighters took 65 minutes to access, confine and fully extinguish the stubborn flames within the heavily damaged structure," an LAFD report stated.

Heche is a mother of two and 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.