The president of Bloomsbury USA publishing house was killed in front of her husband and two young children when their speedboat smashed into a sailing ship off the coast of Italy.

Adrienne Vaughan, 44, whose company is best known for the “Harry Potter” books, was launched on impact into the water Thursday, where she landed between the hulls of the two vessels and was fatally struck by the speedboat’s propeller, according to local media reports.