Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law drowned after accidentally reversing Tesla into ranch pond

The late sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell drowned after accidentally reversing her Tesla Model X into a pond at her Texas ranch,

Angela Chao, 50, reportedly called a friend in a panic before her car was “completely submerged” in the pond on the sprawling ranch outside of Austin.

The death of Chao, the chair and chief executive of the Chao family business, the Foremost Group shipping company, was reported last month, but details about the fatal accident were slow to emerge.

Chao’s may have been caused by her putting the electric vehicle into reverse causing it to slam into the pond and sink, with first responders unable to get it out in time to save her life, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The outlet spoke to friends of Chao, her family and county officials who were at the scene or briefed on the incident, as well as reviewing law enforcement documents to establish the course of events that led to her death.

Chao had invited friends from Harvard Business School to the 900-acre ranch outside of Austin, Texas to spend a weekend with her, stated the report.

At around 11.30pm on 10 February, after spending time with her friends in the guest house, she went to head back to the ranch’s main house in a Tesla Model X SUV.

Minutes later Chao called one of her friends “in a panic”, the outlet reported. During a three-point turn, she put her car into reverse instead of into drive. As the vehicle went backwards, it tipped over an embankment and into a pond.

After the alarm was raised, Chao’s friends, the ranch manager, first responders, and sheriff’s deputies tried to break the vehicle’s windows or find an escape hatch. One of her friends even jumped into the pond, the outlet reported.

An emergency unit for Blanco County arrived