The American electric automotive giant Tesla’s reverse gear is said to have caused the death of a billionaire. It has been reported that Angela Chao, who was the billionaire CEO of Foremost Group, fell into a pond and drowned after her Tesla Model X SUV accidentally reversed. It has been stated that Chao engaged the reverse gear of her Tesla Model X by mistake because of its poor design. Angela Chao also happens to be the sister-in-law of top US senator Mitch McConell.
What happened?
It was reported that this tragic incident occurred on February 11. Chao had invited her friends to celebrate the Lunar New Year at her 900-acre ranch near Austin, Texas. The incident took place when Chao was attempting a routine maneuver to return to the main house.
After saying goodbye to her friends staying at the guest house on the same property, she left to go to her main house. However, during this, she accidentally reversed her Tesla Model X EV SUV into the pond. She even dialed her friends in one last phone call, and informed them about the situation. However, because of the location of the property and lack of rescue equipment, her life could not be saved.
Who was Angela Chao?
As stated above, she was the CEO of Foremost Group. The company is a prominent shipping company in the United States of America. It was founded by her parents James Si-Cheng and Ruth Mulan.
Angela Chao was married to Jim Breyer, a prominent venture capitalist. As per sources, Breyer has ties to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. And because of this personal relationship between Breyer and Musk, it is believed that he might not be filing a case against the company. However, at the moment, nothing has been confirmed.
Tesla’s response
Presently, the American electric vehicle manufacturing giant has not commented on this incident. Reports have stated that neither any official from the company nor Elon Musk has said anything about this tragic incident. Most likely, the company could issue a clarification on what led to this accident in the coming days.
Other similar incidents
This particular incident has shed light on a broader issue regarding the design of Tesla’s gearshift. Reports from the US Department of Transportation have received numerous complaints regarding similar mishaps with the gear shifter.
Numerous users of Tesla vehicles have cited similar confusion or unexpected shifting between drive and reverse. According to records, seven users have encountered difficulties with the design of the gearshift.
It has also been reported that Tesla has another problem. This particular problem is related to the glass used in Tesla cars. According to testing conducted by the American Automobile Association, it has been stated that the glass used in Tesla vehicles is highly resistant to breaking underwater. This complicates rescue efforts in situations like Angela Chao’s.
This is not the first time that Tesla has come under scrutiny. Over the years, the company has faced numerous allegations over its self-driving system as well. Over the years, there have been a considerable number of deaths attributed to Tesla’s autopilot. US authorities have forced Tesla to clarify to customers that auto-pilot is not equal to a self-driving car.