Angela Chao accident

[rlsd]

Angela Chao may have died after accidentally putting her Tesla in reverse, a mistake she made before, WSJ reports

Angela Chao, sister of Elaine Chao, made a mistake while making a three-point turn in her Tesla Model X, The Wall Street Journal reported.

www.businessinsider.com

Was her mind clear at that time?

 

[beatle]

Would be helpful to know if her car was post refresh with the stupid shifter on the screen.

 

[uscbucsfan]

Would be helpful to know if her car was post refresh with the stupid shifter on the screen.

One article said it was a 2020 Model X, so no screen shifter.

 

[Zythryn]

I believe mistaking forward and reverse would be less likely with the screen shifting.
I say this as someone who has only used it once, upon picking up my new Model 3.

It was easy to get used to, although not as quick as stalks.

 

[rlsd]

There were couple things that made things it's possible her mind was not clear.
She didn't pull the the shifter completely to the D position. It could be still at the N or R position and either of these positions could pull the car down to the embankment. The car could have been parked at a slope.
She didn't not call 911 for help. She didn't tell her friend to call 911.

 

[JB47394]

She didn't not call 911 for help. She didn't tell her friend to call 911.

That's just a different mindset. She doesn't turn to public services to solve her problems, she turns to elite friends. Besides, they were right there, minutes away.

Her mind may not have been clear because she was leaving a Lunar New Year party at 11:30pm, but nobody said anything about alcohol. Also, she wasn't too mechanically inclined because she'd confused the shifter before. That lack of mechanical skills probably killed her because she didn't know to use the emergency door latch. Rescuers were trying to break windows, so I assume all the doors were locked.

I'm wondering if she landed in the pond, and her immediate reaction was to call her friend through the car. She'd be on the phone, talking, then comment on the way the water was coming in, saying that the car was "sinking fast". At some point, the electronics would fail, the call would end, and neither windows nor door release would work. She doesn't know about the emergency door release, and she's doomed.

 

[Twiglett]

That's just a different mindset. She doesn't turn to public services to solve her problems, she turns to elite friends. Besides, they were right there, minutes away.

Her mind may not have been clear because she was leaving a Lunar New Year party at 11:30pm, but nobody said anything about alcohol. Also, she wasn't too mechanically inclined because she'd confused the shifter before. That lack of mechanical skills probably killed her because she didn't know to use the emergency door latch. Rescuers were trying to break windows, so I assume all the doors were locked.

I'm wondering if she landed in the pond, and her immediate reaction was to call her friend through the car. She'd be on the phone, talking, then comment on the way the water was coming in, saying that the car was "sinking fast". At some point, the electronics would fail, the call would end, and neither windows nor door release would work. She doesn't know about the emergency door release, and she's doomed.

With the 2020 Model X the "emergency" door release is the door handle, no need for an emergency release.

 

[stopcrazypp]

One article said it was a 2020 Model X, so no screen shifter.

People in reddit questioned that, saying given the first responders said it had laminated side glass they couldn't break through, it was a refresh model. A search couldn't find pictures of her vehicle or any other source that can prove what year it was.

 

[CyberGus]

With the 2020 Model X the "emergency" door release is the door handle, no need for an emergency release.

Mechanical release or not, car doors are very difficult to open when submerged, even only partially.

 

[Cal1]

I've never been in a car submerging. Wonder how deep it has to go before the outside pressure would prevent opening the door manual or electric. My 2021 MS Plaid has both electric and manual door opening ability on the front but only electric on the rear doors. The wife saw something about her at some point being in the back seat but we don't know if she was awake or unconscious.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I've never been in a car submerging. Wonder how deep it has to go before the outside pressure would prevent opening the door manual or electric. My 2021 MS Plaid has both electric and manual door opening ability on the front but only electric on the rear doors. The wife saw something about her at some point being in the back seat but we don't know if she was awake or unconscious.

It has manual releases in the back too. The releases are under the rear seats, as they have been since first release of the Model S.

This shows the importance of understanding your vehicle before an emergency happens.

https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/models/en_us/GUID-AAD769C7-88A3-4695-987E-0E00025F64E0.html

For the latter part, if you are referring to the lady in this incident, she was conscious. She called her friend, who then contacted emergency response. However, that may have cost her valuable time. Most people cite that you only have about 60 seconds after hitting the water before the water pressure is too high to open the doors. After that you have to wait for pressure to equalize before opening and that involves holding your breath as the car gets submerged, which I imagine most people will have a hard time doing in a panic.

 

[Cal1]

OMG that is the stupidest design ever. I've owned three MS's since 2012, tons of hrs vacuuming rear seats and never notice these cutouts. Not the most intuitive design and pretty sure Tesla would lose any lawsuit involving it. It's not obvious enough when life threatening under pressure. You should have to study the owners manual for a safety item like this.

BUT thanks for educating me! Had no idea it was there. I'm going to ask my other fellow owners to see how many know about it.

 

[jay1122]

That is why you need one of those emergency seat belt cutter and window hammer tool. In case the seat belt and door gets stuck. You cut it, smash it, and get out. Sometimes you only get 60 secs before fire or water kills you.

 

[stopcrazypp]

OMG that is the stupidest design ever. I've owned three MS's since 2012, tons of hrs vacuuming rear seats and never notice these cutouts. Not the most intuitive design and pretty sure Tesla would lose any lawsuit involving it. It's not obvious enough when life threatening under pressure. You should have to study the owners manual for a safety item like this.

BUT thanks for educating me! Had no idea it was there. I'm going to ask my other fellow owners to see how many know about it.

That design is ok for the rear doors because most modern cars also have rear child locks which can completely prevent the rear doors from being able to open. The design is that way likely for the same reason (so children can't easily find and reach them to pull on them).

I take it the government thinks the risk of a child opening the door is greater than it playing a role in a vehicle submersion accident.

The Model 3 until the new Highland refresh doesn't even have a manual release at all in the rear.

 

[stopcrazypp]

That is why you need one of those emergency seat belt cutter and window hammer tool. In case the seat belt and door gets stuck. You cut it, smash it, and get out. Sometimes you only get 60 secs before fire or water kills you.

Note those don't work if the glass is laminated, as it is in the 2021+ Model X. So always check your glass before assuming it will work (there is usually a marking that notes it as laminated, or for side windows you can check that by seeing if the glass is two layers).

 

[Bill D]

Note those don't work if the glass is laminated, as it is in the 2021+ Model X. So always check your glass before assuming it will work (there is usually a marking that notes it as laminated, or for side windows you can check that by seeing if the glass is two layers).

This article infers Chao's X was 2021+ with laminanted glass, so it probably also had the on-screen shifter.

Windows of McConnell's sister-in-law's Tesla 'impossible to break'

Disturbing details have since emerged detailing the frenzied rescue mission to save the 50-year-old who died last month after her car entered a body of water on a private ranch in Texas.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The WSJ article said:
"Within minutes of saying her goodbyes, she called one of her friends in a panic. While making a three-point turn, she had put the car in reverse instead of drive, she said. It is a mistake she had made before with the Tesla gearshift. The car had zipped backward, tipping over an embankment and into a pond. It was sinking fast. Could they help her?"

 

[stopcrazypp]

This article infers Chao's X was 2021+ with laminanted glass, so it probably also had the on-screen shifter.

Windows of McConnell's sister-in-law's Tesla 'impossible to break'

Disturbing details have since emerged detailing the frenzied rescue mission to save the 50-year-old who died last month after her car entered a body of water on a private ranch in Texas.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The WSJ article said:
"Within minutes of saying her goodbyes, she called one of her friends in a panic. While making a three-point turn, she had put the car in reverse instead of drive, she said. It is a mistake she had made before with the Tesla gearshift. The car had zipped backward, tipping over an embankment and into a pond. It was sinking fast. Could they help her?"

That report is based on the WSJ story such says she had a 2020. I don't see anywhere in the report that says it's a 2021+ Model X. Note the older Model X used laminated glass everywhere but the side windows, so it's possible the responders were smashing other windows. Also, have to allow for the possibility of a 2020 having laminated front side windows if it was a transition year.

The description of the "gearshift" suggests it's the stalk. If it was a touchscreen, I would imagine the article would point to it out.

Still awaiting better confirmation what year it was.

 

[Bill D]

It seems funny to use the term "gearshift" for anything on electric cars.

One of my Teslas has a stalk and one doesn't. It's hard to imagine making a mistake with the stalk. Move your hand up for reverse and down for drive, just like every car in the world. The on-screen "gearshift" is the opposite. Under stress, muscle-memory kicks in.

 

[Daniel in SD]

The description of the "gearshift" suggests it's the stalk. If it was a touchscreen, I would imagine the article would point to it out.

Lol. I doubt most people are aware of Tesla’s revolutionary shifting interface. Even if you told them they might not believe you.

 

[kpanda17]

Angela Chao may have died after accidentally putting her Tesla in reverse, a mistake she made before, WSJ reports

Angela Chao, sister of Elaine Chao, made a mistake while making a three-point turn in her Tesla Model X, The Wall Street Journal reported.

www.businessinsider.com

Was her mind clear at that time?

i doubt it, sorry to the family, but the property is 700 acres and maybe its confusing to drive drunk on your own property meaning you don't take the same safe guards, feel she was drunk, went backward fast, instead of forward and into the water
drunk, magnifying the confusion under water, also dark
not an accident, but drunk driving