Top CEO killed and son, 11, injured in horror crash on dream family holiday as tributes paid to ‘brilliant’ mother

A TOP CEO has been killed in a horror crash while on a dream family holiday which also left her son, 11, injured.

Tributes have poured in for Kasey Grelle, 41, who died after an open-air tourist transport truck crashed in Tola, Nicaragua.

Grelle (right) was a beloved mom to three children – one of which was injured in the crashCredit: Gofundme

Kasey Grelle (left) was killed in a horrific tourist transport crash in Nicaragua while vacationing with her husband (right)Credit: Gofundme
The mom-of-three was the co-founder of the St. Louis-based marketing consulting firm Aux Insights.

Her oldest son Julian was critically injured in the smash and was airlifted back to the US, according to a family fundraiser.

His family shared that he suffered head trauma, skull fractures and spine fractures as well as a collapsed lung,

Grelle, was one of about 30 people – including children – to be in the tour truck when it lost control within the Rancho Santana resort on March 23, according to local media reports.

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It’s understood the truck was travelling down a hill when it rolled.

She was rushed to hospital by first responders but sadly died on the way.

Grelle reportedly suffered catastrophic injuries, including severe head trauma and a skull fracture.

Her brother Andy Joyce shared the tragic news on Facebook, remembering his sister as, “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 people.”

Grelle is survived by her husband, Dave, and their three young children — Julian, 11; Kit, 9; and Des, 6.

A GoFundMe crowdfunding effort launched to benefit the children has raised more than $302,000 as of Saturday — well past the initial $250,000 goal.

Nicaragua’s National Police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash.

In a 2025 podcast interview, Grelle said Aux Insight had surpassed $10 million in annual revenue in under two years and was profitable from the outset without outside funding, as reported by the New York Times.

Before launching Aux Insights, Grelle worked in venture capital and corporate dealmaking, including a stint as CEO of Gateway Media.

She began her career as a TV news reporter before pivoting into finance and entrepreneurship after earning an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

An open-air tourist transport truck carrying her family and other passengers crashed inside the resortCredit: Gofundme

Grelle’s brother Andy Joyce (left) shared the sad news online