A recent report from the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office in Texas has shed light on the tragic accident that claimed the life of Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. According to the report, Chao, who was heavily intoxicated, accidentally drove her car into a pond on the night of her death. The details surrounding her demise had been scarce until now. Chao, who was the sister of McConnell’s wife, former Trump administration Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, passed away on a Texas ranch.
The report, which was released on Wednesday and obtained by various news outlets including the New York Post, provides a comprehensive account of the incident. It reveals that Chao became trapped in her vehicle and submerged in water on the night of February 10. The 50-year-old had been staying at the ranch with seven friends and had left the guest house after dinner to return to her private lodging on the property. Surveillance footage captured Chao walking unsteadily towards her vehicle just a few yards away from the guest house.
Unfortunately, she accidentally reversed her Tesla over an embankment and into a nearby pond. At 11:42 p.m., Chao made a phone call to one of her friends at the ranch, Amber Keinan. Despite the dire situation, Chao remained calm during the conversation and expressed her belief that she was going to die. The call lasted for eight minutes while Chao’s friends desperately tried to rescue her, with some swimming towards the submerged car and Keinan using a kayak. A 911 call was made at 11:55 p.m.
Despite the valiant efforts of Chao’s friends, they were unable to save her, and the vehicle eventually sank approximately 25 yards from the shore. When first responders arrived, they were able to break open the driver’s side window and retrieve Chao from the car, but it was too late to revive her.
“EMS attempted emergency measures on Ms. Chao but she succumbed from being under the water,” Chief Deputy Robert Woodring said.
Chao was declared deceased on the pond shore at 1:40 a.m. Her final words included “I love you” during a phone conversation with Keinan. No postmortem examination took place, however, Chao’s blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.233, nearly three times the legal limit for driving in Texas. The investigation determined her passing as a “regrettable accident.”
Chao served as the CEO of Foremost Group, a dry bulk shipping company established by her father James Chao. She was wedded to businessman Jim Breyer.
