New details in death of Mitch McConnell's sister-in-law begin to emerge

The family of Sen. Mitch McConnell's in-laws suffered a terrible tragedy weeks ago when 50-year-old Angela Chao perished in a bizarre accident on her Texas property, and new details of what happened have recently come to light, including information about a horrific final phone call, as the New York Post explains.

It was in mid-February that Chao, the 50-year-old sister of McConnell's wife Elaine Chao, died after crashing her vehicle into a body of water located on her Blanco County ranch.

Information about what happened to Chao was initially sketchy, but authorities soon issued a statement indicating that “EMS attempted emergency measures on her, but she succumbed from being under the water,” as the Austin American-Statesman noted at the time.

Now it has been revealed that Chao's tragic last moments were spent in a frantic attempt to free herself from her Tesla vehicle after it accidentally plunged into the aforementioned pond.

A report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that during a weekend of celebrations with longtime friends, Chao was attempting a three-point-turn in her car and somehow inadvertently backed into the water.

Soon after, a harrowing scenario unfolded in which Chao called a friend in a panicked state while the vehicle began to sink, informing the individual that she had put the car into reverse instead of drive, as she had intended.

When her friends reached the scene to offer assistance, the ranch manager also arrived and someone contacted 911, though it was a full 24 minutes before help arrived.

A series of snafus unfolded in which rescuers were unable to smash any of the car's fortified safety glass, and the responding tow truck's cable was determined to be too short to reach the car.

Though a longer cable was obtained, one driver expressed concerns about a possible electrocution during any rescue attempt.

Chao was eventually pulled from the vehicle as a rush of water emerged from the car once its doors were opened, but sadly, she was unresponsive, and attempts to resuscitate her proved unsuccessful.

An extremely accomplished businesswoman in her own right, Chao was the daughter of Foremost Group founder Dr. James S.C. Chao and was married to venture capitalist James Breyer, as the Austin American-Statesman noted.

A statement from the Foremost Group upon her death declared, “Angela Chao was a formidable executive and shipping industry leader, as well as a proud and loving daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and mother.”

Chao was a graduate of Harvard University, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees fro the school, and she was a published author in the fields of international trade, economics, finance, and more.

While all signs currently point to Chao's death as being the result of an unfortunate accident, the Blanco County Sheriff's Office investigation into the incident remains ongoing, so as to rule out any possibility of criminal activity.