8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway #2

[cinsbythesea]

As seems to be usual for me - I'm late to the game. I had no idea about this awful crash until I happened to see a short clip with an interview with Matt Lauer as Jackie Hance had written a book. I watched the clip out of curiousity and upon learning her story looked her up on the Internet which led me to "Something's Wrong with Aunt Diane." And here's where I will start to think out loud, throw out questions from my own mind and also to vent. I watched the documentary three times- twice while working so my whole focus wasn't on the show and once last night in which I got to sit and actually watch it. I've been haunted by this case and the documentary, trying to make sense of something that can never make sense. But after sorting out my emotions, my impression is that *something* made Diane Schuler in a sense *snap* and cause all this pain and loss. I believe it probably has something to do with Danny. Had they had an argument? Did she want him to take at least one of the kids with him? Then I thought about her having five little kids in a car - no doubt the noise level was a little higher than she was used to with her own two. Did the kids' noise level give her a headache and thus she stopped for for headache medicine? And then I start to wonder if the vodka bottle was placed deliberately in the vehicle she would be driving, within arm's reach. But this is a woman who by all accounts was a very responsible GOOD mother who would never endanger her children, much less her brother's children. Then I see in the documentary when Emma calls home to say something's wrong with Aunt Diane that Jackie hears at least one of the children crying in the background. At some point these kids must have been terrified and all were crying which must have exacerbated an already bad situation - Diane just wants to get home and get away from all these crying unhappy children. Then my mind examines why in the world she has marijuana in the car with five children in her care - much less actually smoke it. Finally I have to wonder, if as one of the witnesses in the documentary put it, if this was a suicide-murder. Get drunk enough and stoned enough, with all the emotions she's got going on, to just end it. Witnesses said she wasn't driving in your "normal" DUI fashion- one of them even said she was driving "straight as a pin." Can you tell I've watched this documentary three times in two days?! I can quote an awful lot of it verbatim. They indicated in the documentary that Diane and Danny worked opposite shifts so it's quite possible she could be drinking at night and he would never know. The first two times I watched the documentary - while working - I was haunted and wondered what in the world would cause such a responsible woman to be as unresponsible as to endanger everyone's lives the way she did. Last night after having watched the documentary fully, when it was over I was angry at her. She could have stayed pulled over to the side of the road as her brother asked her to do. Instead she chose to continue to drink, smoke pot and drive with five children in the car while doing so. And this may have been answered in the posts above, but when Bryan says to Jay that "mommy says she can't see" - what does that mean? Was it the combination of the alcohol and the marijuana affecting her vision? I'm really stumped on that one. How anyone can fully forgive her is beyond my level of what can and cannot be forgiven.

I read that there are lawsuits everywhere now from this case - even Danny suing Warren and Jackie because it was THEIR vehicle involved in the accident. Has he gone completely nuts?

I ordered Jackie's book but feel like I need to let my emotions settle down a bit before taking it on.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Any input anyone can offer to settle down this fevered brain of mine will be most appreciated!

Sad, sad, sad story.

 

[Davereid]

Davereid---my most heartfelt condolences to you and your family---am so sorry for your loss.

I think Diane was a heavy drinker--now that of course can be a loose term--what I think is heavy is not what someone else may think. But she was an habitual pot smoker (and I think Danny indulged as well). I wonder if her employer Cablevision had a drug testing policy? I think she smoked pot and drank alcohol daily to relieve stress, just her thing to do. IIRC she had been taking Ambien--not sure if she still was or moved over to pot and alcohol. IIRC and this may have been in Jackie Hantz book, but Danny was arrested for DWI/DUI and was known to smoke pot.

Its possible her family knew more than they were telling and decided for young Brian's sake to reveal nothing. And b/c of the lawsuits, they decided to stay quiet.
I'd love to know what her co-workers knew of her---the only one who talked on the documentary was a former Cablevision employer. Now that can b/c of company policy that no one spoke. And the "person named Eileen" who drank with Diane during lunch, after work has never appeared, so I will discount her as a witness or credible source.

Thank you. It was rough. I would like to have seen the actual second autopsy report. Since they paid it would have been more detailed. Reelz channel had these three shows where a British medical examiner reviewed the autopsy od Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith. It was really interesting and revealing to me. I would like to know something like that. These things, for Diane would probably not be addressed because obviously the crash was her cause of death. If she was a heavy drinker there would be signs.
I know we discussed before maybe she had diabetes unknowingly and had an imbalance somewhere with her sugar that alcohol would exacerbate. Just thinking. ..

 

[Davereid]

As seems to be usual for me - I'm late to the game. I had no idea about this awful crash until I happened to see a short clip with an interview with Matt Lauer as Jackie Hance had written a book. I watched the clip out of curiousity and upon learning her story looked her up on the Internet which led me to "Something's Wrong with Aunt Diane." And here's where I will start to think out loud, throw out questions from my own mind and also to vent. I watched the documentary three times- twice while working so my whole focus wasn't on the show and once last night in which I got to sit and actually watch it. I've been haunted by this case and the documentary, trying to make sense of something that can never make sense. But after sorting out my emotions, my impression is that *something* made Diane Schuler in a sense *snap* and cause all this pain and loss. I believe it probably has something to do with Danny. Had they had an argument? Did she want him to take at least one of the kids with him? Then I thought about her having five little kids in a car - no doubt the noise level was a little higher than she was used to with her own two. Did the kids' noise level give her a headache and thus she stopped for for headache medicine? And then I start to wonder if the vodka bottle was placed deliberately in the vehicle she would be driving, within arm's reach. But this is a woman who by all accounts was a very responsible GOOD mother who would never endanger her children, much less her brother's children. Then I see in the documentary when Emma calls home to say something's wrong with Aunt Diane that Jackie hears at least one of the children crying in the background. At some point these kids must have been terrified and all were crying which must have exacerbated an already bad situation - Diane just wants to get home and get away from all these crying unhappy children. Then my mind examines why in the world she has marijuana in the car with five children in her care - much less actually smoke it. Finally I have to wonder, if as one of the witnesses in the documentary put it, if this was a suicide-murder. Get drunk enough and stoned enough, with all the emotions she's got going on, to just end it. Witnesses said she wasn't driving in your "normal" DUI fashion- one of them even said she was driving "straight as a pin." Can you tell I've watched this documentary three times in two days?! I can quote an awful lot of it verbatim. They indicated in the documentary that Diane and Danny worked opposite shifts so it's quite possible she could be drinking at night and he would never know. The first two times I watched the documentary - while working - I was haunted and wondered what in the world would cause such a responsible woman to be as unresponsible as to endanger everyone's lives the way she did. Last night after having watched the documentary fully, when it was over I was angry at her. She could have stayed pulled over to the side of the road as her brother asked her to do. Instead she chose to continue to drink, smoke pot and drive with five children in the car while doing so. And this may have been answered in the posts above, but when Bryan says to Jay that "mommy says she can't see" - what does that mean? Was it the combination of the alcohol and the marijuana affecting her vision? I'm really stumped on that one. How anyone can fully forgive her is beyond my level of what can and cannot be forgiven.

I read that there are lawsuits everywhere now from this case - even Danny suing Warren and Jackie because it was THEIR vehicle involved in the accident. Has he gone completely nuts?

I ordered Jackie's book but feel like I need to let my emotions settle down a bit before taking it on.

Thanks for letting me ramble. Any input anyone can offer to settle down this fevered brain of mine will be most appreciated!

Sad, sad, sad story.

I was like that when I first read about this story. My husband asked why I was so obsessed with it. I just wanted to know why. Did you also feel like her little girl Erin was kind of forgotten about? I always felt bad for her. I can't imagine how horrific that was for the families.

 

[hot cawfeee]

Dont feel bad for being thought "obsessed" with this----I am too. On a repeat of Dr. Phil this morning (it may be on again on Monday morning on OWN network) the show discussed Diane Schuler with Lisa Bloom and Kathleen Rice offering their perspectives. The show is about 5 years old I think---the doc. may have been already filmed tho-am not sure.

I want to know "why" too. And I think the thing that bothers me so much is the lying---Not just the buffoon Dominic Barbara (who Lady Karma is having a field day with), but the lies of Danny himself and her family. But I guess he is so fearful of a civil suit, he is shutting his mouth. The autopsy showed clearly how much booze and pot was in Diane's system. And Danny knew how their weekend went and what happened before hand. There is another forum that had a listing of the discrepancies in the doc. Danny being at the campsite on Thursday is one of them. His EZ Passs shows him going on the bridge on Friday morning. There is no audio of the infamous "tape of Diane looking for pain relievers" so she could have been looking for minib ottles of alcohol sold near the cash register (my liquor store keeps them there).

Diane was a complex person---her mother walking away from the family and specifically her-a 9-10 year old, the only daughter left in a house of men is sad and marked her for life. Surprising that Diane chose marriage and children after such a past. I get the feeling tho, she was a "one strike" person and I bet went thru alot of employees.

 

[cinsbythesea]

About Erin- yes - the ONLY one who mentioned her in the documentary was Jay. I never once heard Danny mention her- not by name, not by reference, nothing. We get so used to having all these cases resolved that we follow that when they are not - and there are large gaping WHYs in this sad story that I just can't shake and those WHYs will never be answered. I realize that I only found out about this story almost exactly five years from when it happened- Saturday the 26th is the horrible anniversary of this tragedy. I have to also wonder, going back to the actual date of the accident, was the conversation with her brother, Warren, something that might have tipped her as well. There were no further conversations after that with anyone- and then she either deliberately left the phone or in her impaired state left it behind, so no one can judge her state of mind - and from everything I've read - he's not talking about the specifics of that several minutes long conversation.

I do think Jay was legitimate in her concern that something medical must have happened to Diane and that was truly looking for a plausible explanation to explain the unexplainable. Danny though I don't have the same vibe about. And I sincerely hope Jay stays in little Bryan's life - she seems nurturing and caring - whereas Danny seemed to be very hands-off and felt Bryan was a "tough little kid." Hopefully that has changed in the years since the documentary was filmed. This story has just tugged at my heart. I feel emotionally drained after learning all the details of it. I cannot even imagine how those whose lives its so traumatically touched got through it all...

 

[hot cawfeee]

good catch cinsbythesea-------- Danny never mentioned Erin. I think Warren had a more detailed conversation that he let on. And if he chooses he can provide alot of insight, as can all her siblings into Diane's psyche. I'd like to sit down with all her friends (high school ones that she seemed to have dropped) and new ones and co-workers as well.

 

[cinsbythesea]

good catch cinsbythesea-------- Danny never mentioned Erin. I think Warren had a more detailed conversation that he let on. And if he chooses he can provide alot of insight, as can all her siblings into Diane's psyche. I'd like to sit down with all her friends (high school ones that she seemed to have dropped) and new ones and co-workers as well.

Well when you watch a documentary three times in two days (we won't even get into how far behind in work I am now because of it)....
Honestly though I think I noticed he never mentioned Erin AFTER Jay's rant about his sitting around all day, etc., etc - at that point the documentary opened my eyes as to what kind of father he was being to Bryan, and then my never-to-be shut off brain that is always asking why made me wonder if I had missed him referencing little Erin, so the next two times I watched the documentary and particularly last night when I could watch it without work interfering with my concentration (more adequately put would be watching the documentary during work time really interfered with my work productivity but I'm not going to admit that).

The friends that were interviewed would be fascinating to talk to as you could tell there was more they WEREN'T telling than what they were telling. And was anyone else surprised about these friends that talked about her always having been a part of their lives etc, - only to find out that for the past 10 years they weren't part of each others lives?

So glad there are still people on Websleuths that will still talk about this sad story - most people in my life start looking for the nearest exit out when I tell them of the newest case, the latest disappearance etc. I knew if I looked up Diane's name here there would be similar "obsessives" such as me!

 

[hot cawfeee]

She is still all over the internet!!!!
There was mention of Danny saying or being quoted that Diane had left him a father, he never wanted kids. Thats from the documentary or from something I read.

I think her school friends were not big Danny fans, so Diane dropped them. IIRC only one of the group was invited to her wedding. Diane was probably the high-maintenance friend--most groups have them-lol. The who is easily offended, has to be tip-toed around, when you go out to a club or bar she HAS to meet someone too or else you all have to leave (God forbid you get a guys number and she doesn't....you know what I mean). ANd no-I was not that friend in my group-lol.

I hope there will be something done as a 5 year anniversary-----interviews, maybe new information. I hope the Longo and Bastardi families are doing well.

 

[cinsbythesea]

I got that impression too- that they were not warm and fuzzy about Danny. And yes- the comment about him not wanting kids came from Jay in the documentary when she had had it uptohere with him spending five minutes a day with Bryan etc, and how she was going to insist he switch his hours to day hours.

I also found it quite interesting in the documentary how Danny's mother mentioned at least twice about Danny being "Diane's oldest son".

I'm almost tempted to watch the film a 4th time but I'm running out of creative excuses as to why I'm falling behind in my workload in the last two days.

I do really really hope the five years has helped all involved to be able to heal up some awfully painful wounds. The interview with Ann Curry and Jackie Hance was encouraging - she seemed finally to have found a reason to live again through their little girl.

I wonder if all the lawsuits have been settled? Or is that process still being dragged out?

 

[hot cawfeee]

Not sure on lawsuits---------Danny's atty Dominic Barbara has been disbarred and undergoing alot of crazy---I think he is living now in Fla, broke, semi sober but I think he has found Jesus----this may have been in a magazine-not sure.

Danny's Irish Mom is interesting isnt she? She doesnt seem to have much use for Danny.
I read Jacki's book recently---she seems to have struggled with some mental health issues as a young woman---I am sure she is taking daily steps to move forward in her life and make a great new life for Warren and the baby.

 

[Cailin Rua]

I really hope he just handed Bryan over to Jay.

 

[Davereid]

She is still all over the internet!!!!
There was mention of Danny saying or being quoted that Diane had left him a father, he never wanted kids. Thats from the documentary or from something I read.

I think her school friends were not big Danny fans, so Diane dropped them. IIRC only one of the group was invited to her wedding. Diane was probably the high-maintenance friend--most groups have them-lol. The who is easily offended, has to be tip-toed around, when you go out to a club or bar she HAS to meet someone too or else you all have to leave (God forbid you get a guys number and she doesn't....you know what I mean). ANd no-I was not that friend in my group-lol.

I hope there will be something done as a 5 year anniversary-----interviews, maybe new information. I hope the Longo and Bastardi families are doing well.

I saw a comment board with recent posts about her where they were discussing this case. Someone had said Ambien can not show up in a tox screen and cause erratic behavior. I know my grandmother became combative with Ambien and also reacted badly to narcotics like oxycontin and morphine. I do not buy that explanation but my point is you are right people still are talking about this case. It is baffling.
If Jackie Hance suffered from mental illness years ago I expect this really exacerbated this. I would be catatonic like her if I lost all three of my kids. I would NEVER be able to forgive her so I respect Jackie for doing so. But me no way, especially if I thought it was a murder suicide.
Several people said they thought she was just trying to get home as soon as possible but why did it take 4 hours? It was like a one and a half to two hour drive as they said in the documentary. If she was contemplating killing herself and kids she might have drove around trying to decide.
I do not understand why her brother's kids though. I am guessing she was the 'martyr' type who claimed to be selfless but inside was bitter and never said anything about how she really felt and had pent up rage. She probably felt taken advantage of by everyone and probably was to some extent.

 

[cinsbythesea]

I saw a comment board with recent posts about her where they were discussing this case. Someone had said Ambien can not show up in a tox screen and cause erratic behavior. I know my grandmother became combative with Ambien and also reacted badly to narcotics like oxycontin and morphine. I do not buy that explanation but my point is you are right people still are talking about this case. It is baffling.
If Jackie Hance suffered from mental illness years ago I expect this really exacerbated this. I would be catatonic like her if I lost all three of my kids. I would NEVER be able to forgive her so I respect Jackie for doing so. But me no way, especially if I thought it was a murder suicide.
Several people said they thought she was just trying to get home as soon as possible but why did it take 4 hours? It was like a one and a half to two hour drive as they said in the documentary. If she was contemplating killing herself and kids she might have drove around trying to decide.
I do not understand why her brother's kids though. I am guessing she was the 'martyr' type who claimed to be selfless but inside was bitter and never said anything about how she really felt and had pent up rage. She probably felt taken advantage of by everyone and probably was to some extent.

I initially thought she got caught in traffic and that was the reason for the delay. However upon watching the documentary without interruptions I realized that was the excuse offered by Diane - and so like you I have to wonder what she was doing during that four hour period besides drinking and smoking pot. Getting up her nerve to do the unthinkable? How does one drive around for hours with five kids in the car? The kids had to be antsy and wondering if they were "almost there yet". So many questions. The more you think about all this - the more questions come up.

And I'm with you- if this was a murder suicide, there would be no forgiveness. I would try to let go of the anger - but forgiveness. Not happening.

Honestly the more I think about this tragedy - the more I think she did this intentionally. Drivers described a "serene" look on her face - I've read a lot about suicide jumpers from the GG Bridge, near where I live, and the few that have survived and were willing to talk about the experience, all stated they felt at peace with their decision to jump as they knew the hurt and pain would soon be over. Diane seemed to definitely hold on to hurt feelings, as evidenced by her inability to forgive her mother. I started reading Jackie's book and she indicates in it there were rumors Danny had told Diane the morning they were leaving the campground that he wanted a divorce. IF that were true, and if she got into it with Warren on the phone the day of the accident and he figured out she was drinking (it was a several minutes long conversation) and told her to stay put, coupled with her known inability to let go of anger, that could possibly have led her to make a decision that no one would have ever thought possible of her. JMO....

 

[Cailin Rua]

I can't imagine Danny asking for a divorce; who else was going to take care of him like that?

 

[Nova]

cinsbythesea, I have heard from many experts that if a depressed person suddenly seems happy and at peace, it may actually be a sign that a decision to commit suicide has been made. So your friends' experience seems to be confirmed by empirical research.

But I just can't get my mind around Diane making a conscious decision to kill five children, three of whom were not her own. She could have left them at a rest stop if she was bent on crashing the van.

 

[Davereid]

cinsbythesea, I have heard from many experts that if a depressed person suddenly seems happy and at peace, it may actually be a sign that a decision to commit suicide has been made. So your friends' experience seems to be confirmed by empirical research.

But I just can't get my mind around Diane making a conscious decision to kill five children, three of whom were not her own. She could have left them at a rest stop if she was bent on crashing the van.

Well you know the old saying 'john courage' which refers to the effect alcohol has on the body. I interned at a police department of a medium size city and spent some time in the lab. They showed me crime scene photos. There were a lot of suicides. Many of them had empty alcohol containers around the body. It is a depressant and when mixed with Marijuana the depressant factor is heightened. So she could have been angry and depressed and intoxicated and wanted to give the last 'f' you to people she felt took advantage of her.

 

[nosysw]

Well you know the old saying 'john courage' which refers to the effect alcohol has on the body. I interned at a police department of a medium size city and spent some time in the lab. They showed me crime scene photos. There were a lot of suicides. Many of them had empty alcohol containers around the body. It is a depressant and when mixed with Marijuana the depressant factor is heightened. So she could have been angry and depressed and intoxicated and wanted to give the last 'f' you to people she felt took advantage of her.

Yes, I think in her frame of mind she may have seen the girls as extensions of their parents...who she may have been angry with. Not because they deserved it, just because, at that point in time, she was angry at the world. And since the kids were becoming more and more aware that there was a huge problem, taking everyone with her may have seemed to be the best solution, in her state of mind. All MOO.

 

[Deleted member 96356]

I'm so glad to see that others still think about this case! I recently re-watched There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane (it's available on demand with an HBO subscription right now, in case anyone is interested). Some things came to mind:

-my understanding (after having a rx for it) is that Ambien does not necessarily show up in urine screens, or it can also show a false positive for other drugs. That's why it is always so important to disclose all medications you are taking, including otc nutritional supplements. But I would think the autopsy screen would have been a blood test and that should be more accurate, right?

- she may have been a meds seeker; the fact that she went to the dentist and then left suggests that to me - often people invent dental pain or even injure their tooth in order to get painkillers, they don't want the actual procedure so if the dentist doesn't agree to a narcotics rx they will leave - and also the repeated Ambien prescriptions (she may have been hoping for benzos); obviously that is just a thought, I'm not asserting that as fact

- the fact that she was still able to steer a car so accurately after consuming that amount of alcohol belies the statements that she rarely drank; she had a tolerance built up, imo

- I live with atypical migraine syndrome and when it was said "she can't see" it made me think of migraine symptoms; often people will experience distorted vision, confusion, nausea, balance and spatial issues... even slurred words; when I'm coming down with one I could be mistaken for someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol; I wonder if she got her first migraine and didn't know what was happening to her, and tried to dull the pain with the alcohol and marijuana, it's a desperate feeling when that pain hits; she was complaining about tooth pain - my pain goes into my lower jaw and I could swear to you that I need four root canals when in fact it's neurological, maybe she wasn't diagnosed correctly, it often takes a neurologist; to me that would be consistent with the way she was "white knuckling it" down the parkway and trying to get everyone out of her way

BUT I am not making excuses so I hope that's not how anyone will take it! At the end of the day she had kids in the car and there were other motorists to consider - if she was in some sort of physical distress it was her responsibility to pull over and call for help, not drink and smoke up. I would love to know the details of that phone call with Warren.. Did her voice sound normal to him? Has he ever said how she sounded?

 

[Nova]

Of course it's possible, Daveried. And I understand the lack of psychological separation that causes suicides to take their children with them; such cases stem from a perverted belief that the children are better dead than left behind as orphans.

But did you encounter any instances where a suicidal person killed nieces or nephews who themselves had loving parents?

 

[Davereid]

Of course it's possible, Daveried. And I understand the lack of psychological separation that causes suicides to take their children with them; such cases stem from a perverted belief that the children are better dead than left behind as orphans.

But did you encounter any instances where a suicidal person killed nieces or nephews who themselves had loving parents?

There was one case. It was relatively famous and was a Lifetime movie with Kelly McGillis. She was wealthy and married a dentist. They had two kids. She began having an affair with her cousin, Fritz Klinner(sp?)who was a weirdo weapons hoarder and government hater. The divorce fromthe dentist was bitter and she used the kids as pawns to get back at their dad. Her parents sided with her ex because he loved the kids and was a good dad. She and her cousin killed her ex's mother and sister, her parents and set a bomb off in the jeep killing themselves and her kids as the PD chased them down the highway. I saw the crime scene pictures from this. It was one out of hundreds though. I actually got to see an exhumation for a cold case. It was the same day I looked at all the crime scene pictures. I was a little shook up. They did not show me any pictures in traffic just told stories. Then I married a cop who did both[emoji21]. They need to be able to talk about that stuff. I imagine the guys who worked this were affected moreso because of how freaking horrible it was. My husband did say when he watched the documentary he wondered why they showed Diane's body like they did. I mean you saw the warnings but I just thought they would show wrecked cars. It was surprising. I think they wanted to humanize her?
I agree it is hard to fathom she would take out all of the kids unless she thought with advances in technology and safety features they might live. In my opinion, if you are so drunk you can't figure out you are going the wrong way it seems like you could not drive straight. I mean from what I saw that exit ramp is curvy and long, how could she even make it down them without going off the road? BTW I am not from that area and only know what I have read and seen on TV so if I am mistaken about the exit ramp, let me know.