Top Line
The police report describing the fatal car crash that killed Angela Chao, the pioneer group’s CEO and sister-in-law of Senator Mitch McConnell, revealed she had high levels of alcohol in her blood when she drove her Tesla Model The quantity was almost three times the legal driving limit. Multiple outlets reported that it became stuck in a pond despite hours of rescue efforts by local first responders.
Angela Chao attends the hosting of the New York City Opera Pre-Gala Ceremony in New York on October 21, 2010 ,
Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
important facts
A toxicology test ordered as part of the investigation into the February 10 crash in Texas found that Chao’s blood alcohol level was .233, nearly three times the state’s legal driving limit of .08, according to That was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman.
Chief Deputy Robert Woodring of the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office told the Statesman that the release of the toxicology report marks the end of the investigation into Chao’s death, which caused a shock wave in political and business circles and raised concerns about the safety of some Tesla vehicles. Anxiety arose.
Chao had dinner with friends at a guest lodge on a private farm outside Austin and was driving to the other side of the property when she overturned her Tesla Model It was reported that she remained trapped in the car as friends, first responders and local officials tried to free her.
According to the Times, rescue workers could not bring Chao’s body out of the pond for nearly two hours and efforts to revive him on the shore were unsuccessful.
The death of Chao, described by the Wall Street Journal as “one of the most powerful women in the world”, sparked scrutiny of Tesla vehicles, their allegedly confusing gearshift design and the use of laminated glass in modern windows. Is. Cars of the day, advertised as “unbreakable”.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment on Thursday.
big number
400. That’s how many people die annually from North American motor vehicle drownings, the Journal reports.
main background
Chao, 50, was the daughter of Ruth Mulan Chu Chao and James SC Chao, who founded Foremost Group, a global dry goods shipping company. At the time of her death she was the company’s CEO and served on several prestigious boards, including the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors, Chairman’s Council of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and advisory board member of the Metropolitan Opera. She had one child, a 3-year-old son, with her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer (a billionaire and the world’s 1,782nd richest person as of Thursday). His sister, Elaine Chao, was the U.S. Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Transportation under the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations, respectively. Elaime Chao is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
tangent line
Chao’s death reignited concerns about the gearshifts used in Tesla vehicles, which have been criticized for allegedly being confusing and easy to shift incorrectly. Chao reportedly told friends that she had mixed up the drive and reverse gears in her car several times, and Business Insider reported that a dozen consumer complaints had been made to the U.S. Department of Transportation about the issue. According to Insider’s report, seven complaints said the gear shift was confusing, and another five said the cars automatically switched between drive and reverse without warning.
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