The husband of a prominent New York publisher who was killed in a boat wreck off the Amalfi Coast has alleged that the 30-year-old skipper — who has tested positive for drugs and alcohol — was distracted by his cell phone before the deadly accident.
Elio Persico, 30, faces multiple charges — including culpable manslaughter and negligent injury — in the wreck that killed Adrienne Vaughan, 45, president of “Harry Potter” publisher Bloomsbury USA, La Stampa reported.
Vaughan’s husband, Mike White, has alleged that Persico was distracted by his cell phone on the ill-fated trip.
“He was always on the phone,” White told authorities, according to Il Messaggero.
Prosecutors are reportedly seeking Persico’s phone records as part of the investigation.
Toxicology tests determined that the suspect had consumed alcohol and used cocaine before running the 20-foot speedboat into the side of the 130-foot vessel carrying a group of 80 American and German tourists celebrating a wedding on Thursday, according to Il Messaggero.
The level of intoxication and the amount of drugs in his system were not immediately available but were apparently low, according to local news outlets.
Prosecutor Giuseppe Borrelli noted that a consultant is reviewing the findings to determine what impact the drugs and alcohol may have had on Persico’s ability to perform his duties.
The skipper, who suffered cracked ribs and pelvic injuries, remains hospitalized in Salerno’s San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona Hospital.
White also was injured in the wreck and has undergone surgery on his collarbone, while the couple’s children — Leanna, 14, and Mason, 11 — were not physically harmed but treated for shock, according to local reports.
The kids were placed in the care of the owner of the accommodation their parents rented for the vacation — Villa Giulia in Sant’Agata dei Due Golfi, according to the news outlet.
Their grandfather was expected to arrive from the US to pick them up.
Witnesses have said the speedboat turned suddenly as it was passing the yacht but then collided with the large vessel’s hull, launching Vaughan into the water.
A dramatic video that shows the motorboat after the collision also suggests that Persico made a mistake by putting it into the reverse after Vaughan and her husband fell off, according to Il Messaggero.
The outlet noted that the woman was struck by the spinning propeller when the boat backed into her.
Footage from the sailboat shows guests dancing when the music suddenly stops.
“What happened?” one woman asks, as a man responded in horror: “This ship collided with us!”
The passengers then race over to the side of the yacht and see the damaged motorboat next to the hull with the mortally wounded Vaughan in the water.
