CEO mum killed in horror holiday crash as tourist truck plunges down hill

A female CEO has died while on holiday in Nicaragua after a tourist truck overturned and tumbled down a hillside.

Kasey Grelle, 41, was killed in the crash as she travelled with her musician husband Dave and their three children.

Around 20 people were injured in the incident, with one of her sons reported to be in a critical condition in hospital, according to Metro.

Ms Grelle was the founder and CEO of marketing consultancy Aux Insights, which helps private equity firms grow and scale businesses.

She and her family were among 28 tourists travelling on an open-air truck when it lost control and plunged down a hill at the Rancho Santana resort in the south-western Tola region.

"I thought we’d grow old together, always in love.

We fought so hard for each other.

We laughed so hard together.

"She was a superhero to our kids… There’s a hole in my universe."
Ms Grelle died from her injuries while being transported to hospital.

Her 11-year-old son Julian is said to have suffered serious injuries including head trauma, skull fractures and a collapsed lung.

He was airlifted to a children’s hospital in St Louis, Missouri.

Her brother Andy also paid tribute in a post on Facebook, writing: "Kasey was one of the most brilliant, driven and selfless people I have ever met.

She was relentless in everything she did, especially when it came to helping her people."
A GoFundMe page has been launched to support her children and had raised $310,000 (£234,000) by Sunday afternoon, surpassing its $250,000 target.

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The family now faces significant financial pressure due to Julian’s medical treatment, along with repatriation and funeral costs and the loss of Ms Grelle’s income.

Ms Grelle began her career as a TV news reporter before moving into finance after completing an MBA at Washington University in St Louis.

She became the main earner for the family in 2016 after her husband was nearly killed in a road accident while out walking.

At the time, she was heavily pregnant but continued to support the family and went on to become CEO of digital media firm Quilt, which was struggling with $40 million in debt.

Under her leadership, the company turned its fortunes around, clearing its debt by 2020 and generating millions in revenue, according to a 2021 interview with Biz Journals.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by Nicaragua’s National Police.