Italian skipper, 30, is being charged with manslaughter after he crashed a boat chartered by Bloomsbury USA president, 45, who was thrown into the water and killed by a propeller
The Italian skipper of a chartered motorboat involved in a horror crash that killed Bloomsbury CEO Adrienne Vaughan is under investigation on suspicion of manslaughter.
Giuseppe Borrelli, Salerno’s chief prosecutor, told a press conference on the Amalfi Coast that the skipper, an Italian who has not been publicly identified, is also under investigation on suspicion of causing a shipwreck.
So far no charges have been filed against him and the investigation is ongoing.
Vaughan, 45, was killed after being thrown from the small craft after it hit a chartered sailboat carrying 70 wedding guests.
Shocking footage captured the moment when the speedboat carrying Vaughan and her family collided with the 40m sailing vessel – those on board were shocked by the incident.
Adrienne Vaughan (left), 45, her husband Mike White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11, pose at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. The family enjoyed a summer tour of Europe
The bride and groom and their guests were seen dancing and enjoying the scenic scenery just before the music died down as the speedboat crashed into the side of their ship, causing the guests to rush to the edge as they threw inflatables at the family.
The Italian skipper and her husband were injured in the incident, but unfortunately Vaughan did not survive. Both children on board the speedboat were unharmed.
That is what a witness, Pietro Luzzolino, told Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper that the skipper of the speedboat “broke” and “give the impression of being drunk.”
Blood samples were taken from the skipper to determine alcohol and drug levels. But Borrelli indicated that the results were inconclusive for the time being.
“The results are evaluated by an adviser to the public prosecutor’s office, as the data in itself is not necessarily significant,” says Borrelli.
He added that more evaluation was needed to determine “the impact of the levels on the subject’s ability” to steer the boat.
On Friday, Italian news reports reported that the blood toxicology tests had found traces of cocaine.
Shocking footage showed the wedding party looking over the side of the ship after the crash
A witness said the speedboat’s skipper looked “drunk” after it crashed into the yacht
Guests were seen dancing and enjoying the wedding just before the impact, as the music fell silent as the party realized what had happened
Vaughan’s husband Mike White was also injured in the crash and their two children were treated for shock
Investigators have questioned the skipper who is in hospital with pelvic and rib fractures, according to Italian media.
The victim’s husband, Mike White, is being treated at another hospital for a shoulder injury, according to reports. Authorities have spoken to him and plan to do so again, Borrelli said.
The couple’s two young children were unharmed. They are now being cared for by one of their grandfathers who has traveled to Italy to help while their father recovers, the prosecutor said.
Borrelli said that when the crash happened, Vaughan was sunning himself on the bow of the boat and “bouncing” into the water at the time of impact. He declined to give details of her injuries and said the results of an autopsy are still pending.
Two doctors who were among the passengers on the wedding sailboat dove into the sea to help Vaughan, while a nearby ship took her to shore, Italian state radio said, citing the sailboat’s captain.
The family’s speedboat collided with a large ship on which some 85 people were celebrating
The wedding ship that hit the speedboat was reportedly filled with visitors from America and Germany
The trauma helicopter at the scene where the two boats collided in a fatal accident
Borrelli said the woman died before a medical helicopter and local ambulance could take her to hospital.
The captain of the sailboat told Italian media that the motorboat was speeding when it collided with the stationary sailboat’s bow.
The prosecutor said investigators also questioned the captain of the sailboat, as well as about 70 passengers, including American and other foreign tourists.
The family, from New York, had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and were on their way to Positano. At about 6:30 p.m., they collided with a Tortuga ship 40 meters long in Fiordo di Furore.
Vaughan had been dreaming of a trip to Italy for some time and was with husband White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11.
Moments after the crash, the guests were seen looking over the edge of the cruiser in panic as Vaughan was flung overboard and between the two hulls.
She suffered horrific injuries when she was hit by the propellers, and Iuzzolino said she was “supported by her children and husband.”
Emergency services arrived quickly after the collision. Vaughan was taken to a pier where first responders desperately tried to save her life in an ambulance.
As her condition worsened, an air ambulance was also called to the area, but by the time it arrived at around 7 p.m., she was pronounced dead.
Her body was reportedly taken to the morgue of Mercato San Severino Hospital.
The family was on their way to the picturesque town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast when the tragic accident happened. The family was in Rome just a few days ago
Vaughan graduated with an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business before her lucrative publishing career
The million-dollar Vaughan family home in a sleepy New Jersey neighborhood
A Coast Guard speedboat on the scene
Two ambulances arrived on the scene
The publishing house was described as a ‘charismatic true leader’
Vaughan’s husband was also thrown from the boat and suffered serious limb injuries, including a dislocated shoulder.
He was rushed to hospital in Castiglione di Ravello and underwent surgery on his left shoulder late Thursday evening. Il Mattino.
The children were unharmed in the accident but suffered from a state of shock and were reportedly taken to the village of Sant’Agata dei due Golfi in the Gulf of Naples, where the family had been on holiday.
Members of the wedding party were taken to shore for questioning about the incident, and aAn investigation has been launched by the Amalfi Port Authority.
Just days ago, the family had visited Rome and shared photos of them in front of the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum. The family had been in London three weeks ago.
Vaughan was named U.S. president of Bloomsbury publishing house in 2021, having joined the company a year earlier as executive director and COO.
She was involved in major projects with titles like the Harry Potter series. From 2015 to 2018, she worked for Disney publishing house.
She was described on LinkedIn as a “charismatic true leader” by a former colleague who added, “She was my coach and my mentor. I loved working with her every day. It was always ready to help others.’
Vaughan graduated with an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business before her publishing career, which also included working for Oxford University Press.