8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway

[capoly]

From the NY Times, August 7, 2009:
"Mr. Ruskin said on Friday that phone records showed that four calls were logged on Ms. Schuler’s cellphone in the last hours of her life — two incoming calls and two outgoing ones.

He said that Ms. Schuler called her brother, Warren Hance, at 11:37 a.m., to say that she was in traffic, “running a bit late,” but that her nieces would be home in time for a scheduled performance rehearsal. At 12:08 p.m., Ms. Schuler received a call, but it is not yet known who made the call, Mr. Ruskin said.

Emma Hance called her father at 12:58 p.m. and said, “Daddy, there is something wrong with Aunt Diane and she is having trouble seeing and she is talking funny, she is slurring,” Mr. Ruskin said. That call was dropped after three minutes and Mr. Hance called back at 1:01 p.m., in a conversation that lasted nine minutes."

Timeline: So she left the Sunoco station after 11:00 and then called her brother at 11:37 pm to say she was running late. Then the mysterious call at 12:08 came into Diane Schuler's cell. Then the call from Emma at 12:58. THE 12:08 CALL IS VERY KEY TO HER GOING OVER THE EDGE (as others have said). Can't wait until we find out more about that call -- hopefully it will answer some questions.....................

Agree. And think the locations of both 11:37 & 12:08 calls will be telling.

 

[Wonder]

Can they tell locations of cell phone calls sent and received?

 

[LinasK]

Hey RR, and others who posted, no hard feelings? I *seriously* cannot understand that sort of "fun" (lol) but it's great that you do it! And I honestly don't know anyone who camps for such short periods such a distance away, so I was genuinely curious. You guys have fun on your next trip, and drive home safely! :blowkiss:

To me, a chance to go to Lake Tahoe, even cheaply is well-worth a 4hour drive!!!

 

[Steve2010]

Found a Sunoco right near the McDonalds on the same street - Sullivan Ave.

Revised my post on page 38 to show this. Fits more with the timeline that we know so far.

 

[capoly]

11AM appears okay

Calls brother at 11:37 to say running late due to traffic.

Witness stated to have seen DS driving erradically at Ramapo Service area. That's apprx 22 mins from Exit 9 Tarrytown area where she was thought to be at time of call to brother.

That might have her at Ramapo at approx 12:30+. LE must know the time from witness.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...51846&sspn=0.508463,1.234589&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11


That traffic excuse has to be some indicator of something.....have used it way to often myself to just ignore it.

 

[capoly]

Can they tell locations of cell phone calls sent and received?

Think so. Know the WSers that did the Anthony ping map did an awesome job re locations and times.

 

[Wonder]

11AM appears okay

Calls brother at 11:37 to say running late due to traffic.

Witness stated to have seen DS driving erradically at Ramapo Service area. That's apprx 22 mins from Exit 9 Tarrytown area where she was thought to be at time of call to brother.

That might have her at Ramapo at approx 12:30+. LE must know the time from witness.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...51846&sspn=0.508463,1.234589&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11


That traffic excuse has to be some indicator of something.....have used it way to often myself to just ignore it.

So we KNOW that she left the Sunoco station just after 11:00 (say around 11:10) and was at the Tappan Zee pulloff at 12:58 when a call was made from her cell and her brother called back at 1:01. The time between 11:10 and 1:00 is 110 minutes - based on what I have read would it take approx 65 minutes to drive it with no stops (i.e. the missing 45 minutes)? How long would it take to drive from the Sunoco station area to the Ramapo Service Area - 45 minutes? If so, she could not have called her brother from the Service Area. Just trying to narrow down the timeline. Is there any documentation of the time of the Ramapo erratic driving called in from other drivers?

Thanks for any answers and I apologize if I missed in the reporting.

 

[capoly]

So we KNOW that she left the Sunoco station just after 11:00 (say around 11:10) and was at the Tappan Zee pulloff at 12:58 when a call was made from her cell and her brother called back at 1:01. The time between 11:10 and 1:00 is 110 minutes - based on what I have read would it take approx 65 minutes to drive it with no stops (i.e. the missing 45 minutes)? How long would it take to drive from the Sunoco station area to the Ramapo Service Area - 45 minutes? If so, she could not have called her brother from the Service Area. Just trying to narrow down the timeline. Is there any documentation of the time of the Ramapo erratic driving called in from other drivers?

Thanks for any answers and I apologize if I missed in the reporting.

Says approx 1hr 6mins from Sunoco to Ramapo.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=44+Sullivan+ave++liberty,+ny&daddr=Ramapo+Service+Area&geocode=%3BFTz0cwIdtPKT-w&hl=en&gl=us&mra=ls&sll=41.469486,-74.429626&sspn=0.948738,2.469177&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9


ETA

So if it takes 1hr 27 mins to get from the Sunoco to Tarrytown Exit 9 and she left the gas station at approx 11Am then there is only a 1/2 hour+/- of time unaccounted for?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...121309&sspn=1.904233,4.938354&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9


No need to apologize....it's brainstorming together that helps. I don't know how to get the maps to show in posts. Maybe Steve2010 will post them for us.

 

[capoly]

Easy to understand summary of THC testing and time of use.
http://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/11-nor-9-Carboxy-THC


ETA
[SIZE=+1][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Effects of acute smoked marijuana on complex cognitive performance.[/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
http://hempevolution.org/study/cognitive_performance.htm

Interesting read. A person posted a comment on one of the articles saying that if it wasn't for the marijuana, DS would have crashed long before she got to the Taconic. Don't know how valid that point of view is but figured if I keep searching will find someone somewhere did a med study on it. (poor college kids......)

 

[Wonder]

Says approx 1hr 6mins from Sunoco to Ramapo.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=44+Sullivan+ave++liberty,+ny&daddr=Ramapo+Service+Area&geocode=%3BFTz0cwIdtPKT-w&hl=en&gl=us&mra=ls&sll=41.469486,-74.429626&sspn=0.948738,2.469177&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9


ETA

So if it takes 1hr 27 mins to get from the Sunoco to Tarrytown Exit 9 and she left the gas station at approx 11Am then there is only a 1/2 hour+/- of time unaccounted for?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...121309&sspn=1.904233,4.938354&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9


No need to apologize....it's brainstorming together that helps. I don't know how to get the maps to show in posts. Maybe Steve2010 will post them for us.

Maybe since she couldn't get any of the pain reliever that she wanted at the Sunoco station, she went ahead and drank some vodka (and poured some into her drink) to kill her pain either at the Sunoco station or close by. Then she took a bathroom break at the Ramapo and another drink/joint and pouring break. That would account for some of the time. She takes another break just over the Tappan Zee -- by then she is drunk.

Are there any other rest stops coming south between the Sunoco station and Ramapo?

Was she a regular smoker (of cigs)? Do you think she would smoke in the car in front of the children normally? If not, it would explain why she stopped so many times (along with sneaking the bottle to pour vodka in her drink cup).

Thoughts?

 

[believe09]

There are 12-15 grams of ethyl alcohol in the average drink...if we use vodka for our example, then in a 1.5 ounce shot. She had 6 grams of undigested alcohol in her stomach-has her BAC been released? Because I am confused as to how this is the equivilent of 10 shots of vodka.

The key with her will be her BAC and the amount of alcohol absorbed by her liver and brain I would think...what are everyone's thoughts on when she smoked the weed or at least was exposed to the weed? I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just trying to catch up :blowkiss:.

 

[tapu]

Established at autopsy (blood tested):
BAC .19 (legal limit .08)
Active THC, indicating ingestion within 15 mins-1 hr.

(Numerous sources cite; no evidence offered to contrary.)

 

[capoly]

Marijuana And Actual Driving Performance

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/misc/driving/driving.htm



There's 100's of studies on marijuana. lol It's rather funny as medical studies show THC is beneficial with many disorders and the Gov. studies say its a killer. Waste of money if one is going to zero pit the other.

 

[capoly]

There are 12-15 grams of ethyl alcohol in the average drink...if we use vodka for our example, then in a 1.5 ounce shot. She had 6 grams of undigested alcohol in her stomach-has her BAC been released? Because I am confused as to how this is the equivilent of 10 shots of vodka.

The key with her will be her BAC and the amount of alcohol absorbed by her liver and brain I would think...what are everyone's thoughts on when she smoked the weed or at least was exposed to the weed? I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just trying to catch up :blowkiss:.

Hi :blowkiss:

The autopsy also found a “high level” — 113 nanograms per milliliter — of tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, he said.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2...-killed-8-was-drunk-officials-say/?hp&apage=9


Does appear though that chronic users have high levels to start when compared to non-users/occasional users. Here's the abstract from a newer study.


Temporal indication of marijuana use can be estimated from plasma and urine concentrations of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, 11-hydroxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and 11-nor-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11599597?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

 

[arielilane]

And we are drinking this stuff?:waitasec:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol

 

[southcitymom]

Maybe since she couldn't get any of the pain reliever that she wanted at the Sunoco station, she went ahead and drank some vodka (and poured some into her drink) to kill her pain either at the Sunoco station or close by. Then she took a bathroom break at the Ramapo and another drink/joint and pouring break. That would account for some of the time. She takes another break just over the Tappan Zee -- by then she is drunk.

Are there any other rest stops coming south between the Sunoco station and Ramapo?

Was she a regular smoker (of cigs)? Do you think she would smoke in the car in front of the children normally? If not, it would explain why she stopped so many times (along with sneaking the bottle to pour vodka in her drink cup).

Thoughts?

I absolutely think she made a number of stops, in part, to refill from the vodka and/or smoke some pot. IMHO, kids are always happy to stop on a road trip, so it wouldn't be strange to them.

Have no idea if she was a cig smoker, but I don't think she smoked the pot in front of the 9-year-old niece - that's old enough to notice. And, as others have pointed out, there is a chance that she ate the marijuana.

 

[arielilane]

Aug 5, 2009 10:01 am US/Eastern
Outrage Over 'Wrong-Way' Crash Revelations

Toxicology Report Shows Diane Schuler Had BAC Of .19; Smoked Marijuana As Recently As An Hour Before Crash

Broken Bottle Of Vodka Found In Vehicle; Case Turns To Homicide As Victims' Families Seek Answers

Police announced during an afternoon news conference that Schuler had a blood alcohol content of .19 and had six grams of alcohol in her stomach that had not been metabolized. The legal BAC limit in New York is .08.

"With that level of alcohol, she would have had difficulty with perception, with her judgment, with her memory," said Betsy Spratt, Director of Toxicology for Westchester County. "Around that level of alcohol you'll also get what's called 'tunnel vision' where your perception is changed so you can't see peripherally all the time depending the tolerance that she has to alcohol."

Officials also said they recovered a broken 1.75 liter bottle of vodka in Schuler's vehicle.

The toxicology report also found that 113 nanograms per milliliter of THC, the main substance found in marijuana, was measured in her bloodstream. Spratt said that amount indicates Schuler had smoked marijuana within a period of 15 minutes to an hour before the crash.
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/taconic.state.parkway.2.1114132.html

 

[arielilane]

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Map, News) -
The husband of a woman who drove the wrong way on a parkway and crashed head-on into an SUV, killing eight people, submitted Friday to his first in-depth interview with state police.
The police refused to reveal anything the husband, Daniel Schuler, said in the hour-long interview. His lawyer did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Schuler had been resisting a meeting with police, even failing to appear for a scheduled interview last week at his West Babylon home. But he and lawyer Dominic Barbara arrived Friday morning at police headquarters in Hawthorne, not far from the site of the July 26 crash, state police Capt. Arthur Boyko said. In an e-mail message, Boyko praised Schuler's cooperation.

http://www.examiner.com/a-2169658~NY_police_interview_husband_of_wrong_way_driver.html

 

[believe09]

Yup-she was likely drunk. She had to have been drinking the vodka straight if that is the only access she had to liquor in the car.

 

[arielilane]

Yup-she was likely drunk. She had to have been drinking the vodka straight if that is the only access she had to liquor in the car.

I would like to know if it was all straight vodka and nothing added (or added something while at McDonalds). Not that it really matters. Those poor children; what they experienced with this lady is unimaginable. The horror of her intoxication and what they witnessed. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. At least the older child was in fear and I’m sure that triggered down to the younger children. Or were they used to this type of behavior? Can you imagine the four hours with her that morning?