Angela Chao, the billionaire sister-in-law of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, died when she reversed her Tesla into a pond on her sprawling Texas ranch and couldn't get out of the car.
Chao, 50, the CEO of global shipping empire Foremost Group and the sister of former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, had just left friends celebrating the Chinese New Year at a guesthouse on the 900-acre property outside Austin when she accidentally backed the Tesla Model X SUV into the water around 11:30 p.m. Feb. 9, the Wall Street Journal reported.
A panicked Chao called a friend as the car sank to say that she had put the car in reverse instead of drive, a mistake she had made before with the electric vehicle's gearshift.
Tesla moved to a touchscreen interface for shifting its cars in 2021. According to the Wall Street Journal, that touchscreen was a feature that had previously caused problems for Chao.
No one in the family blames Tesla, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unnamed source. Breyer and his wife reportedly owned three Teslas and loved them.
Breyer is reportedly a friend of Elon Musk.
Tesla has not commented on the incident.
