Bridgerton author Julia Quinn announces her father and sister were killed in a crash

E! Online

Quinn revealed on Facebook on Wednesday that her dad, author Stephen Lewis Cotler, and her sister, cartoonist Ariana Elise Cotle (also known as Violet Charles), were killed in a car crash on June 29. They were 77 and 37, respectively. "I have lost my father and my sister," Quinn wrote. "Because a catering company did not secure their load and canvas bags spilled onto the highway. Because a pickup driver thought nothing of driving while his blood alcohol level was nearly 3 times the legal limit. I have lost my father, and I don't have my sister with whom to grieve." Quinn revealed she and her sibling had recently finished writing a graphic novel that was dedicated to their dad.