Tragic Car Accident Involving Angela Chao, CEO of Foremost Group: A 62-Page Incident Report Unveils the Fateful Night
Angela Chao, the respected CEO of the shipping company Foremost Group and the sister of former US cabinet secretary Elaine Chao, was involved in a fatal car accident on February 10, as detailed in a comprehensive 62-page incident report published by the Blanco County Sheriff’s office. This article will delve deeper into the events of that night, highlighting the desperate attempts to save Chao after she drove her Tesla into a pond at her Johnson City family ranch.
The report sheds light on the evening’s sequence of events. Chao had been spending time at the ranch with friends, sharing a dinner and some drinks at the guest lodge around 11:30 p.m. As the night progressed, most of her companions began retiring to their bedrooms or heading home.
A crucial piece of evidence comes from an exterior camera on the south side of the property, which recorded Chao at 11:37 p.m., stumbling towards her vehicle while still clutching her cell phone in her right hand. The report further explains that she entered her Tesla shortly thereafter, and the camera captured the car veering towards a wooden barrier, reversing, turning left without stopping, and ultimately plunging into the pond.
The incident report also documents Chao’s frantic phone call to a friend at 11:42 p.m., where she disclosed that she had driven her vehicle into the pond but was unable to leave it. The friend attempted to offer guidance, but Chao remained in the submerged car, and a minute later, her vehicle’s lights were no longer visible.
Desperate to save her friend, one of Chao’s companions managed to get into a kayak and paddled towards the car. Another friend bravely swam to the vehicle and climbed onto its roof, trying to reach Chao. The deputies arrived at the scene just after midnight. Upon discovering that the back door of the Tesla was ajar, they attempted to locate Chao through the passenger door but were unsuccessful.
The deputies broke the front windshield to gain entry but could not reach her. Ultimately, they managed to break the driver-side window and rescue Chao from the car approximately 21 minutes after it had submerged in the water. However, despite their valiant efforts, first responders were unable to revive her.
An autopsy was not carried out at Chao’s request due to religious reasons. Toxicology findings, however, revealed that her blood alcohol concentration was 0.233 – a level high enough to result in confusion, vomiting, and drowsiness according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Angela Chao is renowned for her business acumen as the CEO of Foremost Group, and she is the cherished sister of Elaine Chao, who has been married to Mitch McConnell and served as transportation secretary under President Donald Trump and labor secretary under President George W. Bush.
