Benjamin Ashford:Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law, was drunk when she drove into pond, police say

2025-05-02 16:20:05source:Oliver James Montgomerycategory:News

Angela Chao,Benjamin Ashford a shipping industry CEO and sister-in-law to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was intoxicated when she drove into a pond and died last month in Texas, according to a law enforcement report released Wednesday.

The investigation by the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office concluded that Chao’s death was an “unfortunate accident” and her blood alcohol level was nearly three times the state’s legal limit.

Chao, 50, died the night of Feb. 10 after having dinner with a large group at a ranch in Johnson City, west of Austin. The report describes a frantic scene as friends and deputies tried to pull Chao from her Tesla after she backed it into the water.

A friend, Amber Keinan, told detectives that Chao called her at 11:42 p.m. and said the car was in the pond and she was trapped inside. The conversation lasted 8 minutes as the car slowly sank.

“Chao described to Keinan the water coming into the vehicle,” the report says. “Chao then said her good byes to Keinan.”

Friends swam to the car while another paddled out with a kayak, according to the report. Someone else called 911 at 11:55 p.m. and remained on the phone for 11 minutes.

READ MORE New York lawmakers expand fracking ban to include liquid carbon dioxideTexas immigration ruling puts spotlight on nation’s most conservative federal appeals courtWho will reach the women’s Final Four and win it all? A March Madness bracket analysis

When law enforcement officials and firefighters arrived, they went into the water and attempted to enter the Tesla, the report says. They broke the window on the driver’s side, and a deputy felt around until he located Chao.

Emergency crews pulled her out of the car and brought her to shore, where she was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m. Feb. 11.

A toxicology test determined that Chao had a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.233 grams per 100 milliliters, above the legal limit in Texas of .08, the report says.

Chao was the chair and CEO of her family’s shipping business, the Foremost Group, and the president of her father’s philanthropic organization, the Foremost Foundation. She lived in Austin, which is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Blanco County.

Chao was the youngest of six sisters to immigrant parents who moved to the U.S. from China in the late 1950s. Her eldest sibling, Elaine Chao, is married to McConnell and served as transportation secretary under President Donald Trump and labor secretary under President George W. Bush.

“Angela’s name in Chinese sounds like the characters for peace and prosperity,” her father, James S.C. Chao, said in a family statement shortly after her death. “Her absence leaves a void not only in our hearts, but in the Asian-American community.”

Her father was named chairman of Foremost Group following her death. Michael Lee, a former president, became president.

Chao is survived by her husband, father and four sisters.

More:News

Recommend

Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes

Friday the 13th might be unlucky for many people, but Mega Millions players could be lucky in tonigh

Want to retire with $1 million? Here's what researchers say is the ideal age to start saving.

Americans say they'll need about $1.8 million to retire comfortably, a pie-in-the-sky figure for mos

Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia

PHOENIX (AP) — Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old husband, who has Alzheimer’s disea