Current:Home > FinanceBurley Garcia|Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law, was drunk when she drove into pond, police say -AssetVision
Burley Garcia|Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law, was drunk when she drove into pond, police say
EchoSense View
Date:2025-04-08 14:49:59
Angela Chao,Burley Garcia 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.
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.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- No. 1 pick Bryce Young's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year betting odds continue nosedive
- Farmingdale High School bus crash on I-84 injures students headed to band camp: Live updates
- Detroit Tigers hire Chicago Blackhawks executive Jeff Greenberg as general manager
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Tragedy in Vegas: Hit-and-run of an ex-police chief, shocking video, a frenzy of online hate
- Man who won $5M from Colorado Lottery couldn't wait to buy watermelon and flowers for his wife
- Biden says Norfolk Southern must be held accountable for Ohio derailment but won’t declare disaster
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- In a first, Massachusetts to ban purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Man who sold black rhino and white rhino horns to confidential source sentenced to 18 months in U.S. prison
- Sophie Turner is suing Joe Jonas for allegedly refusing to let her take their kids to the U.K.
- Minnesota murder suspect still on the run 1 week after being accidentally released from Indiana jail
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office can’t account for nearly 200 guns, city comptroller finds
- Biometrics could be the key to protecting your digital ID: 5 Things podcast
- 3-year-old dies while crossing Rio Grande
Recommendation
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
3-year-old dies while crossing Rio Grande
'Probably haunted' funeral home listed for sale as 3-bedroom house with rooms 'gutted and waiting'
Lizzo and others sued by another employee alleging harassment, illegal termination
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Man rescued dangling from California's highest bridge 700 feet above river
Rupert Murdoch Will Step Down as Chairman of Fox and News Corp.
Police suggested charging a child for her explicit photos. Experts say the practice is common