A successful entrepreneur’s family vacation in Nicaragua has ended in tragedy after a horror crash.
Top US CEO, Kasey Grelle has been killed in a tragic accident while on a luxury family holiday in Central America.
The mother-of-three was the head and co-founder of Aux Insights, an international marketing consulting company based in St. Louis, a city in Missouri.
The 41-year-old died after an open-air tourist transport truck carrying her family and other passengers crashed inside the Rancho Santana resort in Tola, Nicaragua.
The crash left her 11-year-old son fighting for his life.
The vehicle reportedly rolled when travelling downhill within the resort.
Ms Grelle was rushed to hospital by first responders, however she died on the way.
According to local media reports, the CEO was one of about 30 people who were in the vehicle when it lost control on March 23.
Her eldest son, Julian Grelle, was airlifted to St. Louis Children’s hospital and now faces a “long road to recovery”.
Currently in the ICU, he is being treated for head trauma, skull and spine fractures and a collapsed lung.
Family friend, Juliana Rodas said Julian is “his mother’s son” after being “tough and brave” throughout the recovery process.
Ms Rodas started a GoFundMe appeal to help support Ms Grelle’s devastated husband and recovering children.
“Kasey was a force – brilliant, driven and passionate, with an uncanny ability to connect deeply with everyone she met,” the post wrote.
“She would have been the first to set up a GoFundMe for someone else (…) now it’s our turn.”
The appeal has raised more than $355,000 ($A513,000) to help the family cover medical, emergency evacuation and daily living costs after losing their dedicated mother and primary income earner.
Ms Rodas shared that Ms Grelle had become the family’s “breadwinner” since her husband, Dave, was hit by a car in 2016.
In a 2025 Mixergy podcast, the CEO revealed Aux Insight had surpassed $US10 million ($A14 million) in annual revenue in under two years.
The New York Times reported that the company had been profitable from the outset due to outside funding.
Ms Grelle originally started her career as a TV news reporter before becoming an entrepreneur.