8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway #2

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I think this proves she was drunk and thought it was lunch time. Hee hee I think if I were tipsy I could still recite real fast, Two all beef patties
special sauce
lettuce
cheese
pickles
onions
on a sesame seed bun
 
It’s too bad she couldn’t control the vehicle and to h*** with the chicken crap…

This case haunts me; I can’t even imagine what little Bryan went/goes through… something positive has to come out of all this.
 
Diane Schuler was a mother and mothers' are supposed to protect their children and also protect the children who are in their care. However, she failed miserably in doing so. Alcoholism is and always will be a selfish disease.

One has to wonder if DS is protecting or covering up from something other than Diane Schuler?
 
http://nymag.com/news/features/62043/index3.html

Here are some snipplets from the article I posted ealier that I have concerns with.

Then at 12:58, Emma called her mother. “There’s something wrong with Aunt Diane,” she said. Jackie heard the kids crying in the background, but after two minutes and 33 seconds, the call cut out. Warren, Emma’s father and Diane’s brother, called back at 1:02 p.m. and heard Diane slur her words. She was disoriented. She referred to him as Danny. Diane had pulled off the road just past the Tappan Zee tolls. Warren got Emma on the phone. “What signs do you see?” he asked his 9-year-old. Warren told Diane to stay put; he was on his way
Click to expand...

Mike and Jeanne focus on that 1:02 call when Warren learned that Diane was incapacitated. Warren raced in search of Diane. Danny was out of the loop. Warren didn’t call him, though he besieged Diane with calls, at 1:20, 1:24, 1:28. There was no answer. The phone had been abandoned. But Warren didn’t call 911. The first call from the Hances to the state police comes at 1:40, by which time everyone is dead.
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1). The Hance’s daughter calls to tell them something is wrong with Diane, the only adult and driver of the van - which has 5 children, 3 of them their own.
2). They hear other children crying during this 2 1/2 minutes call (which gets disconnected and they don't call back within seconds - it took them 1/2 a minute - why?)
3). He talked to Diane and claims she was disoriented during the 2nd call
4). They don't call 911 immediately (he knows something is wrong with Diane)
5). They called 911 42 minutes later (only after he can't located her or get her on the phone)
6). They don't call Diane's husband at all during this time

Even if her brother thought Diane had pulled over and was no longer driving, I can't understand why he would not call 911. He sought no medical help for Diane, or alerted the police to check on the welfare of his children. He chose to look for her alone - and was miles away from where he claims she pulled over.
 
Long time reader of WS but new to posting here. I did not see this before but in reading the comments on the New Yorker story found this one of interest:

On page 10 of the police report, a witness describes travelling north on the Taconic at 1:15 pm and being cut off by the minivan ALSO TRAVELLING NORTH getting on the Taconic from the Saw Mill Parkway. This is right where the crash happened, about 200 yards north of the Saw Mill/Taconic merge. This means she went up the Taconic past the crash site, then turned around and got back on the same exit ramp in the wrong direction. She scouted the route! Probably saw a perfect spot to end it all and headed back down the road heading south knowing what was going to happen and where, there is a blind curve with a hill right at the crash site, no chance for the unwitting accessory to the crime to react evasively. There are two (2) turnarounds in that stretch of road, plus a lot of wide grass median and shoulder to change your mind if you wanted to.
Click to expand...

Thougths on this theory, could it have been her car?

John
 
Welcome Litespeed.

Wow, I don't know. There has always been a little part of me that felt like this was more than just a horrible accident. I'm still bothered by a feeling that something triggered her getting so loaded that morning.

What an even more tragic and heartbreaking incident if she drove that car the wrong way willingly. I just don't know.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/nyregion/11taconic.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

"The lawsuit, filed by the Bastardi family in State Supreme Court in Westchester, seeks unspecified damages for what it called “wanton, willful and reckless” conduct by Ms. Schuler. Mr. Bastardi and his son, who were 81 and 49, respectively, suffered “pre-impact terror, mental anguish and serious personal injuries” before they died, according to the lawsuit.
Speaking in the windy plaza outside the courthouse, Roseann Guzzo, Michael Bastardi’s daughter, said she hoped the publicity surrounding the case would make drinkers think twice before getting behind the wheel."

I know the lawsuit has been mentioned already, but wanted to post this article,as it is a good summary.
 
what is the latest on this? anyone know?
 
That first article made me think for the first time that it could even possibly have been anger leading to suicide. W.O.W.
 
OMG...!!!

Thank you NoZme for the articles....very interesting reading, especially the first one!! Wow, just WOW....this woman was hell on wheels and it hurts to think of the absolute terror those children were facing on that horrible last ride. Sickening.

Now on to the husband, brother and sister-in-law....they are all obviously playing CYA and it's inexcusable. What a legacy they are leaving for those dead children....they are all refusing to answer questions honestly in the name of those poor dead babies. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out down the road...possibly the grief will cause them (brother and sister-in-law) to split (not unusual at all) and maybe she will come to her senses and spill the truth out of consciense?? We can only hope because she (and they) all know much more than they are telling.

I can't imagine living with such immense grief, but to add the guilt of lying/covering up/fibbing on top of it.....and holding all of that inside???

No thank you.....I have a conscience and could never ever do that. The guilt would consume me in.
 
I felt from the beginning that there was an element of suicide. I think she was feeling very trapped and angry in her life. Primary breadwinner and primary caretaker...husband who could just flit off and leave her with a van load of kids while he just takes the dog....

Alot of "perfect" moms are often close to the edge on the inside. Keeping up appearances is a B****.

That said, what she did was despicable, whether it was an accident or intentional.
 
I was just thinking of this case the other day. Very well written article, I'm leaning towards it. Seems like something made her so angry and she had a plan. To me, I think she was fine at mcdonalds, I hope that if anyone ever saw someone drunk or tipsy about to drive children they would call the cops and stop that person. Seems like something happen in the 45 minutes to the gas station.
 
Can't tell from the video on this computer, but can anyone else: Does it look like that store sells alcohol? Thought she might be walking in, and then seeing that it doesn't. Like, it could sell beer and wine but not liquor? (Not sure what NY state laws are on that.) Could she then be asking for somewhere that does? And, hey. How come we don't know what she asked the guy? grrr...
 
I have also always felt from the beginning like there was more to this story.

Tapu-to answer your question, yes NY convenience stores would sell beer/malt liquor, that kind of stuff but not hard liquor or wine.

I didn't watch that video but if there is a time stamp on it and it was prior to 12 noon, she wouldn't have been able to buy alcohol yet. Maybe that accounts for her quick in and out...she may have seen what time it was or asked the clerk and known she couldn't purchase anything at that time.
 
noZme said:
I found a few postings from 2010:

This blogger postulates a convincing argument that wreck was murder/suicide.
http://pysih.com/2010/01/23/diane-schuler-an-interesting-perspective/


A Taconic State Parkway crash victim family member Wednesday called for Diane Schuler's body to be exhumed and for testing of the West Babylon mother's hair for past drug use. http://www.topix.com/forum/nyc/TU72QFIDL50OG24MM


http://www.zimbio.com/Diane+Schuler



http://www.daylife.com/topic/Diane_Schuler
Click to expand...



Thanks for these updates, NoZme. Regarding the PYSIH article (and let me just say I have NEVER understood the name of that website. It seems to imply that all its readers are going to hell - how else could they see these people?....but, I digress)

The article would be more compelling if it were written in a much different style. It just seems like an overly long blog post (opinion). And it is her opinion, of course - but to accept it, you have to accept that all of these people are in collusion - from the husband to the McDonald's employees to the state investigators - to try to hide a bunch of stuff. That's just hard for me to buy.

I'm a terrible sleuth because my nature is generally trusting. I don't believe for a second that the McDonald's employees would let an obviously drunk woman drive away with kids without calling the police. And I don't believe the investigators are hiding all this "motive." That doesn't make sense. It does make sense that her family might want her remembered in a better light, but that's about it.

I don't mind them wanting the hair sample, but I don't know what it will show - other than the fact that she had been using for a while. That could be important to the case I guess. I don't know what they are trying to prove. Undoubtedly, she was badly impaired when she caused this wreck - a history of substance use doesn't effect that fact, IMHO.
 
SleuthyMama said:
I have also always felt from the beginning like there was more to this story.

Tapu-to answer your question, yes NY convenience stores would sell beer/malt liquor, that kind of stuff but not hard liquor or wine.

I didn't watch that video but if there is a time stamp on it and it was prior to 12 noon, she wouldn't have been able to buy alcohol yet. Maybe that accounts for her quick in and out...she may have seen what time it was or asked the clerk and known she couldn't purchase anything at that time.
Click to expand...

I agree there's more to this story and we'll probably never know most of it. But I'm still not convinced it was murder/suicide.
 
This case makes me so, so, so sad. My heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones that day.

But really, the ONLY person responsible is already deceased. I really don't understand how blaming those left behind will help. How will it help anyone to know if Diane did drugs or drank regularly? It won't explain what happened that day.

Such a sad situation.
 
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