More details have since emerged, including that Ms. Chao was on the phone with a friend for eight minutes after her car hit the pond and was sinking, according to the Blanco County Sheriff's incident report obtained by The Epoch Times.

The report also revealed Ms. Chao had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.233 percent, almost three times higher than the legal threshold of 0.08 percent for driving in Texas.

Ms. Chao, 50, was CEO of the U.S.-based family business, Foremost Group, and a previous top executive for a Chinese shipping giant and board member of China's World Bank.

On February 10, Ms. Chao and seven female friends—many with home addresses in New York—had gathered for dinner and drinks at the guest lodge located on Ms. Chao's private ranch, JW Ranch, in Blanco County, Texas.

"They had good conversation throughout the night and all were in good spirits," the incident report states, according to statements from those present.

As the evening wrapped up, Ms. Chao decided to drive to the main lodge rather than take the short walk from the guest house.

Security cameras on the exterior of the lodge captured the moment Ms. Chao drove her car into the pond, according to two videos from different angles that were provided to investigators by the property manager.