Investigators say Angela Chao's blood alcohol level was three times the limit when she died in car accident



Investigators have revealed that Angela Chao was heavily intoxicated when she perished in a car accident in Texas in February.

Chao was a shipping industry CEO and the sister to Elaine Chao, the wife of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

The 50-year-old was found dead after her car was submerged in a a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City, 40 miles away from Austin. EMS responders tried to resuscitate the woman for 43 minutes before they said that she had "succumbed from being under the water."

The Blanco County Sheriff's Office initially called the incident "an unfortunate accident" and later referred to it as "not a typical accident."

On Wednesday, a report from the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office said investigators concluded that Chao's death was an “unfortunate accident." They said her blood alcohol content was nearly three times the state's legal limit.

Witnesses on the night of her death said that Chao had been at a dinner party and she later frantically called her friends to tell them she was trapped in the car. They tried to swim out to help her, but it was too late.

Chao's relation to McConnell led some online to push conspiracy theories that involved his sister-in-law being murdered. Others noted that some Tesla users have complained that their design leads to accidental shifting into reverse when the driver intends to drive forward.

Car safety experts told Inside Edition that anyone who drives into a body of water should open their windows to try to escape immediately instead of reaching for their phone, which wastes precious seconds.

McConnell said in February that he was planning to step down as Senate minority leader after experiencing several health scares that led many to question his ability to fulfill the duties of the office. He referred to his sister-in-law's untimely death in his announcement.

"As some of you may know, this has been a particularly difficult time for my family," McConnell said on floor of the Senate.

"We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister, Angela, just a few weeks ago. When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process," he continued. "Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind."

Here's more about Chaos' death:

Billionaire Dies After Accidentally Backing Tesla Into Pond www.youtube.com

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'Not a typical accident': Death of Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell's sister-in-law and wife of billionaire, under criminal investigation



Authorities in Texas say the death of CEO Angela Chao – the sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell and wife of a billionaire – is now under criminal investigation. Law enforcement said her death was "not a typical accident."

Chao, 50, was found dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 11.

Chao was found inside a car that had gone into a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City – approximately 40 miles outside of Austin, Texas.

Sheriff's deputies, firefighters, and other first responders were able to pull Chao out of the submerged vehicle.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, EMS responders performed "advanced life support" for 43 minutes, but were not able to resuscitate Chao. She was pronounced dead at the scene after she "succumbed from being under the water."

The outlet noted that the preliminary investigation by the Blanco County Sheriff's Office "determined this to be an unfortunate accident."

However, the Blanco County Sheriff's Office has now declared, "This incident was not a typical accident."

"Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity,” the Blanco County Sheriff's Office wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday.

The Blanco County Sheriff's Office said it would not release evidence yet since it is a criminal investigation.

"Releasing the reports, videos, and other information prior to the completion of the investigation would interfere with the investigation and possible prosecution of this matter," the letter added.

CNBC reported, "The ranch where Chao died is owned by a corporate entity connected to her husband, venture capitalist Jim Breyer, who has an office in Austin."

The outlet noted, "Her husband Breyer is part owner of the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics, and previously served on the boards of Facebook, Walmart, Marvel Entertainment, News Corp., and Dell."

According to Forbes, Breyer has a net worth of $1.8 billion, adding that he is "one of Facebook's first venture investors" and "made much of his fortune investing in the social network."

Chao was the CEO of Foremost Group – a New York-based global shipping empire that was founded by her parents.

"She will be greatly missed and leaves a legacy of pioneering leadership — especially for women — in shipping, philanthropy, and the arts," Foremost Group said in a statement.

Chao is the sister of former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and sister-in-law to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell mentioned Chao's death during an announcement about him stepping down as the GOP leader in November.

"As some of you may know, this has been a particularly difficult time for my family," McConnell said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. "We tragically lost Elaine’s younger sister, Angela, just a few weeks ago. When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there’s a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God’s way of reminding you of your own life’s journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind."

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