Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was under the influence when she died Feb. 10 after driving her Tesla into a pond, authorities said Wednesday.
Chao’s blood alcohol level was three times higher than the Texas legal limit when she backed her car into the pond while doing a three-point turn, the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff’s office deemed the 50-year-old’s death as an “unfortunate accident.”
Chao attended dinner with a large group of seven girlfriends on a ranch near Johnson County, according to the New York Post. Footage reportedly showed her walking “unsteadily to her vehicle,” where the accident followed moments later.
One of her friends, Amber Keinan, said she received a call from Chao where she was informed she was trapped inside the vehicle, the Post reported. She remained on the phone with Chao for eight minutes until the car fully submerged into the water.
“Chao told Keinan the water was rising and she was going to die and said ‘I love you’ to Keinan prior to the vehicle going under water,” the report says, according to the Post.
Her friends rushed into the pond in an attempt to save her, and Keinan traveled out to the location in a kayak, according to the outlet. Another called 911 around 11:55 p.m. and remained on the phone with authorities for 11 minutes.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 12: (L-R) Jim Breyer and Angela Chao attends the AFI Awards Luncheon at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 12, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
The report said law enforcement and fire officials found the driver’s door had been broken and a deputy felt around the vehicle in an attempt to find Chao’s body, according to the Post. They recovered Chao’s body and were unable to regain a pulse. She was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m. (RELATED: Details Emerge In Death Of Mitch McConnell’s Sister-In-Law)
Chao served as the chair and chief executive of the family’s Foremost Group, a company that operates a fleet of bulk carrier ships globally, Click 2 Houston reported. She is the child of Chinese immigrants and notably the younger sister of former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
“Angela’s name in Chinese sounds like the characters for peace and prosperity,” her father, James S.C. Chao said shortly after her death. “Her absence leaves a void not only in our hearts, but in the Asian-American community.”
She is survived by her father, husband and four sisters, according to Click 2 Houston.