8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway #2

[sharkeyes]

I just finished watching the documentary on HBO. Was it really necessary to show the photo of her dead body?

Anyway, I'd like to ask the BIL what his daughter told him when she called to say "there's something wrong with Aunt Diane". That is not the only thing she said, there had to be more.

The husband sounds like taking care of his surviving child is "inconveniencing" him...in light of the statement he makes regarding 'never wanting kids...that was her thing' - real nice pal, hope your son never sees this program. Oh, and when you found out there was a problem, why didn't you call the cops/state police before you went out "looking" for her.

Why did they travel separately? I've read a few weird reasons on various online sites...nothing verifiable with a documented statement from the husband, and nothing that makes sense.

As far as the husband now suing NYS for not having adequate signs....besides those HUGE "Do Not Enter" and "Wrong Way - Go Back" signs what else do you want?..a guard stationed at every entrance and exit to the NYS Thruway?

I could not get the picture out of my mind of those kids being scared to death during that 1.7 mi. ride...it had to be absolute horror for them, did the BIL daughter make any more calls to him?

Diane Schuler is described as a "super mom" and everyone speaks very highly of her...almost as if they are somehow protecting her; yknwim? I knew an alcoholic who was so incredibly functional that his own kids defended his behavior because he worked long hours and brought home a paycheck and took them on vacations and paid the bills and was a "great guy" as well as an alcoholic. I hung around with his daughter for years - all through high school - and had no idea of the extent of his drinking until he got a DUI and she told me how much her dad actually drank, so, the possibility that Diane Schuler was one of those functional alcoholics does exist. Also, did she have any history of migraine headaches?

There's more to this sad and tragic story, however, I doubt we'll ever know.:twocents:

 

[Fairy1]

I'm only halfway through the documentary, but I already have more questions!!!

IIRC, it was said to be only a 35 minute drive home. 35 minutes!!!! That makes a huge difference to me. She did not have to drink during that drive - even if she was an alcoholic. AND, if she was an alcoholic, she was obviously high-functioning. I just can't see her drinking that early in the day normally, and particularly when all those babies were in her care.

The video at the gas station and the McDonald's witness account tells me she was NOT drunk/drinking.

When considering her own childhood issues and the fact that she was abandoned by her mother, I can see a "supermom" like Diane convincing herself it would be best to take her children with her in a suicide situation. But not her nieces! I just will never believe this was a deliberate decision on her part.

I am so very sorry for all of the families touched by this horrific tragedy. And I doubt we'll ever really know the answers. But for me, I no longer have a doubt that Diane purposely endangered those children or herself that day.

 

[RJA00]

You know, it didn't occur to me to drink when I had an abscessed tooth, but I swear I seriously considered taking out the tooth myself with a pair of pliers. It was really that bad.

I don't know that that's what happened to Diane Schuler, but I can imagine that IF she chose to dull the pain with alcohol, she may have quickly lost track of how much she had consumed. (This does not excuse her, BTW.)

toothache is worst kind of pain. I have taken a cotton ball with rocky rye and put it on a tooth a couple of times

(but, if I do that I know I am in too much pain to drive)

I dont drink, we do keep a cheap bottle of whiskey in the house and if i feel a cold coming on I will take a shot and go to bed maybe once or twice a year

 

[Saffron]

A few posters have referred to Daniel stating that he didn't want children to begin with. I thought that Jay, the sister-in-law said this. And, if I'm recalling that correctly, I do think that he may have said that in a certain context to her, and her saying it in the documentary may make it sound worse than how he meant it at the time. While it may be true that he hadn't wanted children at first, when he made the statement some time after the tragedy perhaps he was at a very low moment of grief, was angry and temporarily feeling sorry for himself. Then, maybe he said that in a way of fantasizing that had they not had children this wouldn't be so very sad. I can't imagine dealing with the reality of such horror, but I can kind of imagine going in and out of irrational "what if" thinking during the first few weeks or so as it all keeps relentlessy setting in.

 

[tezi]

Well, AMEN to that; I totally agree! I watched the HBO doc this week, which enlightened a lot of this tragedy for me, albeit mainly in a resigned and sad manner... ITA that Diane Schuler led an incredibly frantic life, and that she sought to hide many secrets. Her childhood circumstances, coupled (probably) with her natural disposition/personality led, imo, to her adult persona being that of a TOTAL control freak... let me emphasize> TOTAL. And I am not stating/opining this in a mean or judgmental manner, in fact I have a sister who is very much like Diane. My sister is not a substance abuser, but she is an absolute and extremely private overachieving perfectionist, one who would rather DIE than admit weakness, need, or failure on any level. Also, much like DS, she is the first to send the appropriate greeting card and/or gift to all whom she loved, and her affection for those people was sincere; in other words, her "outside" was often overly guarded, confrontational, even prickly-- but her "inside" revealed a genuinely good person. The docu was so sad and also absurd on many levels. For Danny to question the ME's toxicology results, only to have them retested- reaffirmed by a leading forensic ME as unimpeachable [correct]... and for him and Jay to STILL refuse to accept those results... this still blows my mind!! NOTHING can overtake or minimize the FACT that DS was drunk and high the time of the accident. I DO agree w/many here that we will never know exactly what happened, or why she chose to drive this way, and yes there is room, imo, to believe that this was totally out of character for her, that the "perfect storm" of partying the night before, self-medicating the day of, the drive and absolute determination to refuse help, the need to be seen as 100% in control and perfect... all of these elements combined culminated in epic disaster. It's really a no-brainer. Yet there is Danny S. refusing to accept the scientific (not theories but) FACTS of his wife's intoxication, thereby prolonging the suffering of all parties, including himself. Watching him in this docu was extremely unsettling, as he is IMMERSED, imo, in RAGE, absolute RAGE. This man is beyond belief. Whining how he never even wanted kids, not stopping- or caring- to consider how this comment will affect his son in future years. What a selfish and cruel comment!
Also whining about having to do household chores, making it seem like the care of his ONE remaining child is a burden, a negative obligation that he resents, while most anyone else in his situation would be overjoyed to take care of this precious child. His own family- Aunt Jay- basically admits that she does most of the childrearing, which I totally believe. Poor KINDERGARTEN-AGE (!!!) Bryan has only one parent left, and that parent is a selfish, clueless, unstable, resentful, distant and cold-hearted !! I can only pray that someone else eventually gets to take custody of this child before he is irrevocably damaged by his father's irrational narcissism. I think one reason DS's driving in those last few minutes, the seemingly puzzling window of time in which witnesses describe her driving as focused, non-swerving, determined, oblivious re. others, etc. occurred because, even in her intoxicated state, the controlling and perfectionistic side of her still prevailed. She COULD NOT FAIL to make her destination. Thus she earlier leaves her cell phone at the roadside (on purpose) so no one could track and possibly find fault with her. I believe she totally loved her kids and nieces and would never plan to do them harm, but negative actions/decisions on her part destroyed her reasoning that day, which temporarily turned her into a different person, a dangerous person. I believe that she had become over time completely overwhelmed with her responsibilities, her essential loneliness and her refusal to "deal" with her past. The mask was slipping off... way too fast. And she had no "port in a storm," because she had created this persona of Superwoman; no one knew the real Diane, who was human and flawed, like everyone else on this planet! No, she had projected this image of infallibility and independence to such an extent- over decades- and she had no emotional tools, no self-examination skills, with which to present/acknowledge her true and human self. Weakness or need simply could not be tolerated. So she drove with intensity, needing to "make it home" so she couldn't be called out on ANY shortcomings. At this point, I believe any and all common sense had totally disintegrated; she was battling inner demons and she ultimately lost. She had such tunnel vision at the end that she could not see what she was doing in any sort of realistic terms. So she "broke," and I in NO WAY intend this statement as an excuse of any sort. But- she broke. In a tragic, in a HUGE way. A very, very bad way. Instead of acknowledging his wife's flaws and asking for forgiveness, her stupid husband put on blinders and blamed everyone BUT DS, and especially HIMSELF. How typical of him, I believe it was, to "dump" all FIVE kids on her and then just leisurely take his dog. How convenient and non-demanding of him. And oh NO, to follow her, what an inconvenience *puke.* He dumped ALL the real family responsibilities on her, to agonizing results... and then to state that he never even wanted children!!! This man needs SERIOUS psychological help to face his denial and his rage, and he will most probably never seek nor get it. He disgusts me. Let it go, Mr. Schuler! You cannot undo the damage done! ENJOY, SUPPORT, NURTURE, and LOVELOVELOVE Bryan before it's too late!! Well, I can dream, can't I?? : (

Excellent post, thanks just wasn't enough!

DS just disgusts me. He's so selfish. I hope he comes to the realization of how much his son needs him before it's too late.

 

[Saffron]

Good point.

Might it be consistent with a driver who was in terrible pain and desperate to get home to her painkillers, who drank a lot quickly to dull the pain and then became very drunk rather suddenly?

(I'm not suggesting we can accurately diagnose her from afar based on witness reports, but aggressive driving by someone in pain makes sense to me.)

This sounds possible. That would explain the aggressive driving.

I wonder if she held her liquor very well. No one addressed that in the documentary. If she was a lightweight, and didn't drink all that often, she may not have realized how quickly the effects of alcohol can sneak up on you. Seems unlikely at her age, because by mid-30's, most of us know our general tolerance level to alcohol. But, who knows?

I don't remember if anyone actually said it, but I think it was implied that she was afraid of the dentist. In fact, they said she once got up and left in the middle of a procedure. I wonder, if she had a phobia, if it was so deep-seated that she didn't tell anyone about how much pain she was in, and then, as said above, she ended up trying to self-medicate after she couldn't get aspirin from the store.

But, it seems unlikely she would not just have told her husband, or someone else at the campground, that her tooth hurt and she needed aspirin, or needed him to drive everybody home. Unless her level of perfectionism somehow prohibited that conversation. Which also seems unlikely.

 

[Nova]

A few posters have referred to Daniel stating that he didn't want children to begin with. I thought that Jay, the sister-in-law said this. And, if I'm recalling that correctly, I do think that he may have said that in a certain context to her, and her saying it in the documentary may make it sound worse than how he meant it at the time. While it may be true that he hadn't wanted children at first, when he made the statement some time after the tragedy perhaps he was at a very low moment of grief, was angry and temporarily feeling sorry for himself. Then, maybe he said that in a way of fantasizing that had they not had children this wouldn't be so very sad. I can't imagine dealing with the reality of such horror, but I can kind of imagine going in and out of irrational "what if" thinking during the first few weeks or so as it all keeps relentlessy setting in.

Thank you, Saffron. I'm not calling Dan Schuler a saint, but I also doubt he deserves the hatred he seems to have attracted.

The filmmakers obviously filmed hundreds of hours over an extended period of time. It may well be true that Dan didn't want children originally, but it's unfortunate somebody said it out loud. But that sort of thing happens when people get comfortable with the camera. And naturally, the the filmmakers used it, because it's provocative.

That doesn't mean it reflects Dan's true and primary feelings. As the link I provided above points out, he spent weeks living at the hospital with his son after the accident. As he should have done, of course, but the fact is he did it, he didn't abandon the boy when he needed his father most.

It seems to me that Dan has attracted a great deal of scorn just because he's still around to hate, while his wife is not.

 

[Nova]

Excellent post, thanks just wasn't enough!

DS just disgusts me. He's so selfish. I hope he comes to the realization of how much his son needs him before it's too late.

Dan probably won't like me "defending" him, Tezi, but my sense is that he is working class and not overly educated. He may not trust science. He may not have a great sense of the damage careless comments can do to children.

That's not to say you are wrong about his selfishness. I think you're right. But I also think some of things we are knocking him for are just typical for his economic class and geographic area.

 

[LadyL]

Aren't there medical conditions that replicate alcohol in the system after death? Did that make sense? I really think something additional happened and it all went wrong at once. I'm so unsettled about this and still can't reconcile all the variables.

 

[SuziQ]

About that tooth. IIRC, the autopsy proved there was no abcessed tooth. That was smoke and mirrors created by Daniel and his first attorney.

 

[SuziQ]

Aren't there medical conditions that replicate alcohol in the system after death? Did that make sense? I really think something additional happened and it all went wrong at once. I'm so unsettled about this and still can't reconcile all the variables.

Then how do you explain away all the liquor in her stomach? I don't think there is any medical explanation for that other than drinking a ton of liquor. The lady was extremely drunk, has a stomach full of liquor and was high on pot.

 

[SuziQ]

One thing in the documentary that added to the mystery was how other drivers described Diane as honking and tailgating for quite some time. And, as mentioned above, she was described as focused and deliberately changing lanes, not weaving. So, at some point she seemed angry, aggressive and determined to get past slower drivers. Then the couple that pulled over into the rest stop saw Diane (after she had tailgated them), and she looked like she might throw up. It seemed they kept their eye on her the same way most of us might stare down (if we dared in this day and age) someone who had cut us off or frightened us on the freeway. This all just doesn't sound like typical drunk driving, which usually involves weaving or staying stopped too long at red lights. It sounds like angry, aggressive driving. Yet, the toxicology reports show she was drunk. I guess I've just never heard of angry and aggressive drunk driving, so that's what's confusing me. For all I know, driving like that under the influence is commonplace. (I do remember a long time ago in traffic school being told that most wrong-way drivers are suicides. But I agree with you all that it seems improbable she was suicidal, or that she would do something like that with other children in the car.)

IMO, being drunk or under the influence of something can explain alot of angry criminal behavior. A couple spends the day drinking, gets into an argument, one takes off in the car pissed off. There is your set up for angry drunk agressive driving.

 

[SuziQ]

I'm shaking my head in disbelief that Daniel would be suing his brother-in-law the man who lost his beautiful 3 daughters because Diane was intoxicated. Wasn't Daniel talking about exhuming Diane's body for further testing, has he done that yet? If not wouldn't you think you would do that before you start filing frivolous law suits??
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp=43941199&#43941199&from=en-us_msnhp&snid=18424824

I am going to guess nothing further was done because it would prove Daniel wrong and he knows it. IIRC, nothing favorable came of what the original attorney followed up on.

 

[deelytful1]

I went to sleep with this case on my mind last night and dreamed about it all night. I tossed, turned woke up thought about it some more and then went back to sleep thinking.
Diane was an alcoholic but a functioning one until that morning. She could drink alot and still be in control. it took the edge off and gave her the liquid courage to do all she does (work, single mom, great aunt... according to her friends) The situation I picture is that she was always under control. They stayed up late that night drinking and then after only 4 hours sleep she awoke and needed a "pick me up" to help her get through (which probably always worked before) but this time it was reacting different with her system. She overdid it and her liver wasn't processing the alcohol the way it used to because she WAS an alcoholic.
At McDonalds she drank more thinking this would "straighten her out" which in alcoholics, it does since every cell in your body craves it and needs it at this point. This of course just makes her situation worse.
In her mind, she couldn't pull over and ask for help because then she would be admitting she had a problem, she would probably be thrown into jail for DUI, it would be an embarassment all ways around. Being always in control and probably having gotten through situations like this one before, she plods on but if you've ever been truly inebriated while driving you know, nothing looks the same as it did even if you've gone the same way a million times. Your judgment and all sense of direction are gone.
In my partying days, I remember being fine one minute and then totally whacked the next. This was just with alcohol! I've driven on the wrong side of the road and have gotten completely lost while drinking (in my party days.. years ago) so I know that feeling.
In any case, I know this has all been said before.. I just needed to vent in order to get it right in my mind and perhaps it will ring true to others and they will conclude that drinking and driving is an ultimate death sentence. It's like Russian roulette. You may have gotten away with it for the last 20 years, but one day something like this can happen.
My opinion on Daniel is that he is just a greedy, pathetic man. The donations have stopped and the world seemingly forgot him so he has to step into the limelight once again to cry some more, "poor me, poor me" so that he can get the sympathy that has dwindled over the past few years. All he's doing is making himself a much hated man.

OH, one last thing. In the interviews, Daniel's lawyer keeps saying no one ever smelled alcohol on her breath even when she kissed them good-bye. Well, HELLO! That's why alcoholics drink vodka! The scent of alcohol is minimal and easily covered up by gum and breath mints.

Again, this has all been said before but I needed to say it, too. Thanks for listening!:seeya:

 

[Nova]

About that tooth. IIRC, the autopsy proved there was no abcessed tooth. That was smoke and mirrors created by Daniel and his first attorney.

Are you sure? I don't remember that from the film and I know it wasn't mentioned in the articles I read.

I wouldn't think it was standard practice for an autopsy.

 

[Nova]

I am going to guess nothing further was done because it would prove Daniel wrong and he knows it. IIRC, nothing favorable came of what the original attorney followed up on.

I think you're guessing wrong.

The film specifically states that Daniel Schuler tried to get the body exhumed but ran into legal restrictions that prevented it.

Articles linked above say part of his deal with the filmmakers was that they would pay for the exhumation and private autopsy. Apparently, they weren't allowed to do so.

Your post seems like more piling on. Let's blame Dan Schuler for everything!

I don't get it.

 

[zippitydoda]

I am not blaming Daniel for the accident. I believe that Daniel is attempting to cover up what his wife did - after the fact.

Daniel called a press conference, and partisipated in a documentary, for a sum of $$, to speak to the public, which includes his wife's victims, and tell lies about what he knew of his wife's drinking and drug habits. I don't like him for that - there I said it. Maybe I am disgusted by his refusal to just shut up already, and focus on his surviving son. He went to the hospital and stayed by his son's side - of course he did. But what did he do when no one was looking, its documented that he pushed Bryan's care off onto Jay, and basically alienated his entire family with his behavior.

As for legal restrictions on exhuming the body - I don't recall Daniel saying those words, rather the producer inserted them as a comment onto the screen. I've googled the exhuming requirements in NY (oh I did) - yes its red tape and requires an attorney, but it can be done - and it hasn't...hmmm. But, perhaps, due to the multiple lawsuits that he filed right before the two year limitation, someone else, maybe a big car manufacturer or Government agency, will be forced to do this for him - at our expense.

Why would he insist on anther autopsy if he thought the results would not be in his favor? Well, he already knows what the autopsy results are, had independant PI's and ME tell him his wife was drunk and high on pot, and that didn't stop him from lying about her drinking and drug habits, so why would he be phased by the thought of a 2nd autopsy confirming what he already knows? He'd just continue to deny the truth.

I wish Daniel well, and pray for Bryan, and the Hances, Longo and Bastardi families. I also wish Daniel would just stop.

 

[twinkiesmom]

It seems to me that Dan has attracted a great deal of scorn just because he's still around to hate, while his wife is not.

Not at all...If he had kept his mouth shut, I think he would have avoided public derision and may have garnered some sympathy.

His public statements amount to peeing on the graves of 7 innocents.

 

[SuziQ]

I think you're guessing wrong.

The film specifically states that Daniel Schuler tried to get the body exhumed but ran into legal restrictions that prevented it.

Articles linked above say part of his deal with the filmmakers was that they would pay for the exhumation and private autopsy. Apparently, they weren't allowed to do so.

Your post seems like more piling on. Let's blame Dan Schuler for everything!

I don't get it.

I am not piling anything on. Daniel is the one that keeps putting rediculous theories out there and making excuses for his wife. To me he is the one piling misery on top of misery for his wife's victims.

 

[SuziQ]

Are you sure? I don't remember that from the film and I know it wasn't mentioned in the articles I read.

I wouldn't think it was standard practice for an autopsy.

A badly abcessed tooth years old would be noticed IMO. A deceadants overall health is assessed before an ME goes looking for the COD.