Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin
Angela Chao was drunk when she drove into pond and died, police say (abc13.com)
3 points by bdcravens on March 21, 2024 | hide | past | favorite | 3 comments


>Chao, 50, died the night of Feb. 10 after having dinner with a large group at a ranch near Johnson City, west of Austin. The report describes a frantic scene as friends and deputies tried to pull Chao from her Tesla after she backed it into the pond near a guest lodge on the property.

>A friend, Amber Keinan, told detectives that Chao called her at 11:42 p.m. and said the car was in the water and she was trapped inside. The conversation lasted 8 minutes as the car slowly sank.

Intoxication and delta P aside, is there any reason why the Tesla door couldn't be opened such as a shorted lock/unlock mechanism or an electric latch of some sort? I haven't ridden in a Tesla to know how their doors work in general.


any car that goes into water cannot have its doors open...there is a mythbusters about this but i dont have a link


I remember seeing that one, after a certain point the differential pressure equalizes and the door can be opened but I think in the Mythbusters episode there had to be basically a complete cabin fill before it would open easily. Either way, sucks :(




Consider applying for YC's Winter 2026 batch! Applications are open till Nov 10

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: