Kasey Grelle, 41, who co-founded the multi-million dollar marketing consulting firm Aux Insights, died on March 23 while her 11-year-old son was left critically injured
A CEO mum has been killed in a devastating tourist transport accident while on holiday in Nicaragua with her husband and three young children. Kasey Grelle, 41, who co-founded the multi-million pound marketing consultancy firm Aux Insights, died on 23 March while her 11 year old son was left critically injured and airlifted to hospital.
The family were aboard a tourist transport truck believed to be carrying around 28 foreign passengers when the open-air vehicle suddenly lost control and plunged down a hill at the Rancho Santana resort in Tola.
Kasey tragically died from her injuries while being transported to hospital, while her 11 year old son Julian sustained head trauma, skull fractures and spine fractures as well as a collapsed lung. More than 20 people, including children, were injured in the crash, according to Nicaraguan outlet TN8.
Kasey has been remembered as a “brilliant, driven and selfless” person who loved helping others. She is survived by her husband, Dave, and their three young children Julian, 11, Kit, 9, and Des, 6, reports the Mirror.
“We are devastated to announce the tragic passing of my sister, Kasey Grelle,” Kasey’s brother, Andy Joyce, wrote in a post on Facebook.
“Kasey was on a family vacation in Nicaragua and on a tour put on by the resort she was staying at with her kids, Kit and Julian, when the driver lost control and rolled the vehicle, killing Kasey and severely injuring Julian.” Andy described his sister as “one of the most brilliant, driven and selfless people I have ever met and she was relentless in everything she did, especially when it came to helping her people.
“We are heartbroken for David Grelle, Julian, Kit and Des as well as everyone else who knew and loved Kasey.”
A GoFundMe page, established to support the children, has collected more than $310,000 (£234,000) as of Sunday, significantly exceeding the original $250,000 target.
Kasey had served as the family’s primary earner after her husband sustained serious injuries in a previous accident, according to the GoFundMe page. She co-founded Aux Insights, a St Louis-based marketing consultancy that assists private equity firms in enhancing their performance.
During a podcast last year, Kasey revealed the firm surpassed $10million in annual revenue within two years, without external funding.
Prior to establishing the business, Grelle developed a career in venture capital and corporate dealmaking, including a stint as CEO of Gateway Media, where she helped eliminate $40million in debt before the company was sold.
She initially began as a television news reporter before transitioning to finance and entrepreneurship after completing an MBA at Washington University in St Louis.
Nicaragua’s National Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.