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'She's Black and not a celeb': Internet split as Anne Heche is compared to ICU Nurse Nicole Linton

Several Twitter users were displeased with the contrasting responses Anne Heche and Nicole Linton received online

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Emmy Award-winning actress, Anne Heche, and a Texas nurse, Nicole Lorraine Linton, both found themselves behind the wheels of two massive and tragic car accidents the past week. With the former being pronounced dead following the car crash, some Twitter users aren't happy with the response of people towards both the news.

Anne Heche died on Friday, August 12, at the age of 53, following a tragic vehicle accident last week.“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy,” Heche's representative told Page Six. “Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

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Heche's team informed the outlet on Friday that she had been formally declared brain-dead, but doctors were keeping her heart alive so that One Legacy could assess if she was a match for organ donation. On August 5, Heche lost consciousness after crashing her blue Mini Cooper into a Los Angeles residence. The actress's publicist said on August 11 that she had "suffered severe anoxic brain injury" and was "not expected to survive." Heche had gone into a coma soon after the collision and was still in serious condition.

The Los Angeles Police Department was apparently able to establish that Heche was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the accident after obtaining a warrant to test her blood. According to law enforcement officials, the actress's blood test results for fentanyl were also positive. They did warn, however, that fentanyl may have been given to Heche at the hospital to assist control her pain following the accident. Despite a photo taken just before the collision that revealed a red-capped bottle in her car's cup holder, the actress was not under the influence of alcohol, according to TMZ.

The LAPD elevated its investigation to felony DUI on August 10 when the lady whose home Heche drove into said she was wounded and required medical attention as a consequence. According to onlookers, the actress smashed into the carport of a nearby apartment complex before backing up and rushing away. LAPD West Traffic Division officials earlier confirmed she hit another car before bulldozing into the burning residence. Photos from the incident showed the 'Men in Trees' star being carried on a stretcher and suffering major back injuries, while overhead photos showed smoke pouring from the house and multiple fire engines around it.

The same week, a Texas nurse is accused of causing a tragic multi-car collision in Los Angeles. Nicole Lorraine Linton was charged with six charges of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter following the tragedy on August 4. Prosecutors said Linton was traveling at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour when she blew a red light soon after 1:30 pm. She is accused of colliding with at least six automobiles.

Asherey Ryan, 23, was pregnant at the time of the collision, as was her 11-month-old son, Alonzo, and her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, 24. Two additional women were killed in another car, but their identities have not been disclosed. Five additional people had minor injuries and were treated and released. The six murder accusations stem from the deaths of four people, an 11-month-old infant, and an unborn child. Ryan's unborn kid is not included in the five charges of vehicular manslaughter. According to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, if Linton is convicted of all counts, she risks life in prison.

While investigators accept that Linton did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they argue that her prior driving experience should have made her aware of the dangers of irresponsible driving. According to Gascón, prosecutors will have to show that Linton behaved with "implied malice" and was aware that speeding on city streets may endanger lives. According to the Times, the California Highway Patrol has discovered 13 prior collisions involving Linton. Authorities are still trying to piece together what transpired. Her counsel has stated that she has mental health difficulties. According to law enforcement officials, police are attempting to ascertain if she had taken any prescription medicine prior to the incident.

Fans react to the varying response the two accidents received

Following the two headline-grabbing accidents last week, everyone has taken an interest in the events and expressed their thoughts on them. However, immediately after the actress's death was announced, several Twitter users were displeased with the contrasting responses the two individuals received online. Calling out the hypocrisy in the sympathy that the actress is getting following her passing, a Twitter user wrote, "the difference in reactions to the car crash caused by nicole linton versus the crash caused by anne heche is absolutely fucking crazy. none of them deserve an ounce of sympathy, by the way but the way y’all react to these rich famous (&yt) people is so fucking weird." Another Twitter user felt Hech was lucky enough to not injure others but she and Linton both deserve the same treatment, "Anne Heche is just as bad as Nicole Linton. Both of these women drove dangerously & recklessly. Anne Heche was lucky enough to not have killed anyone. There is no fckng excuse for either of them. Throw the book at them both!" Another user called out people for expressing their grief for Heche while back mouthing Linton in a similar incident, "So many people saying they feel bad about Anne Heche passing .. yet in the same breathe bad mouthing Nicole Linton. If y’all forgot they both drove erratically at accelerated speeds. One just happened to take many innocent lives and the other took her own."

Noting how Linton was tested negative for all substances unlike Heche, another user wrote, "It interesting to see the reactions to Anne Heche's wreck and Nicole L. Linton's. One tested negative for all substances." Another tweet regarding the same read, "Nicole Linton was not drunk but she killed 6 people, Anne Heche was drunk but only harmed herself, idk theres just something bugging me that im unable to articulate thus far."

Some people also believe that the differing response has to do with their profession as well as race. A tweet read, "Nicole Linton plowed through an intersection SOBER and killed 5 people. Immediately arrested, but she is Black and not a celebrity. People on Twitter want her publicly executed. Response to Anne Heche? "Oh poor thing I feel bad for her" (but not the woman she tried to kill)." Stating how Heche wouldn't have received the same compassion if she weren't a public figure, a Twitter user wrote, "I always wonder how many people hold such compassion for people who are not celebrities. Do you have the same compassion for Nicole Linton, the nurse who killed several people in CA last week? If Anne Heche wasn’t famous, everyone would vilify her." Commenting on the 'anti-blackness' surrounding the responses, another person wrote, "It’s very interesting to see the Twitter response to Anne Heche vs Nicole Linton. People are coming for Nicole’s head but everyone who isn’t empathic to Anne’s struggles with addiction and mental health are getting scolded for lack of compassion. Anti-blackness is real."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.