Angela Chao was drunk when she died in a car crash, the police report shows

Angela Chao, the CEO of a shipping company and part of a prominent family in American politics, was legally drunk when she drove into a Texas pond and died last month, according to a police report released Wednesday that called the episode an “unfortunate accident.” .”

The report, released by the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, details a harrowing scene on the night of Feb. 10 when friends and officers frantically tried to pull Ms. Chao out of her Tesla after she drove it into a pond on a family farm in Johnson. City, Texas.

Earlier that evening, Ms. Chao, 50, had dinner with a group of friends at a guesthouse on the ranch, the report said. At approximately 11:30 PM, guests began returning to their bedrooms or to their homes. Ms. Chao then got into her Tesla and backed into the pond, the report said.

A friend told investigators that Ms. Chao called her at 11:42 p.m. to tell her her car was in the pond and she couldn’t get out. The water rose and Ms. Chao said, “She died and said, ‘I love you,’” before the Tesla submerged, the report said. The conversation lasted about eight minutes.

The friend then got into a kayak and paddled toward the Tesla, while another friend got into the water, swam to the vehicle and climbed atop it in an attempt to find Ms. Chao, the report said. A third friend contacted 911 at 11:55 p.m. and stayed on the phone for 11 minutes, the report said.

When law enforcement officers and firefighters arrived, they entered the cold water and attempted to enter the car, the report said. The driver’s door window was broken and a deputy went underwater and began feeling around the car until he found Ms. Chao.

Her body was brought ashore, but emergency medical services were unable to obtain a pulse and Ms Chao was pronounced dead at 1.40am on February 11. The report says a toxicology test showed Ms. Chao had alcohol in her blood. concentration level of 0.233 grams per 100 milliliters, above the Texas legal limit of 0.08 grams per 100 milliliters.

“After reviewing all evidence, it was determined that Ms. Chao’s death was an “unfortunate accident,” the report said.

Since 2018, Ms. Chao served as Chairman and CEO of the Chao family’s Foremost Group, which operates a global fleet of bulk carriers.

She was a sister of Elaine Chao, who served as Secretary of Transportation under former President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush. Elaine Chao is married to Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader of the Senate.