8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway

[luthersmama]

That's what I think may have happened. I think perhaps she stopped at the pull off after Tappen Zee, got out of the vehicle to smoke a joint, and that is when Emma used her phone to call her father because she was scared. Just speculation on my part.

I really believe there was another stop before the Tappen Zee. Maybe a park or something where she let the kids run around for 1/2 hour or so. There's time missing. The pull off at the end of the Tappen Zee would not be a nice place to smoke a joint or even be outside of the car.

 

[luthersmama]

Alcoholics have different patterns. I have been "openly" addicted and "secretly" addicted, so I have some experience with both.

When you don't want people to know you are using, you use alone or around small children and animals.

This woman's story is not strange to me. I have used and driven small children all over the place. There where times during that period of my life when I had to pull over on the side of interstates and get out of my car and throw up - with young children strapped into the back and traffic speeding by.

At the same time, I felt like I was being completely responsible. My children were always fed, bathed, taken to the doctor, etc....they were the center of my world and my days revolved around what needed to be done for them. Still, my days always involved using because that's what I did and I needed what I needed in order to function.

I very much understand that many people cannot fathom the choice this woman made because they have never been in her shoes. But please believe me when I tell you that "drinking and parenting" is very very common. I have lived Diane Shuler's story and talked to countless more parents who have lived it as well.

In the words of Groucho Marks "I resemble that remark."

Thank you. I got banned from another message board for trying to explain this.

 

[Steve2010]

This is my GUESTIMATE of the route traveled.

Here is an overview of Hunter Lake Campground. State Route 17 is at the lower left corner

Here is a google earth image of the route I believe they took to arrive in Liberty

Here is a google earth image of the Sunoco and the McDonalds in Liberty that I think they stopped at.

This is a google earth image of the Ramapo Service Area

Here is a google earth image of the first portion of their trip - which shows from the campground to the TZ Bridge

Here is a google earth image of the last portion of their trip. Reminder, this route has not been confirmed

This is a google earth image of the area where the pullover is after the toll-booths.

This is a google earth image of where she made a left turn onto an OFF ramp to end up southbound on the northbound side of the Taconic Parkway

 

[LinasK]

Sorry to veer off on a tangent here, but that weekend wasn't a holiday weekend, was it? Just a regular 2 days? I can't for the life of me imagine driving 4 hours (there and 4 back!) for two days of camping with five kids and a dog. Not for fun, anyway! And they were leaving the campsite first thing Sunday morning, right? So, drive 8 hours to spend a day camping? I'm obviously not a camper so it all sounds ridiculous to me, but after a week at work I'd be more inclined to rest at home, especially given the three nieces were due at a rehearsal on the Sunday afternoon.

Does this kind of schedule make sense to any one?

Ummm, we just got back from a 2-day, mid-week camping trip- 4 hours each way with 1 kid and 1 dog, and yes it was fun...

 

[JBean]

I think one of the most interesting things to me is that her brother never assumed she was under the influence when he talked to her. At least I didn't read anything like that. You would think if she had any history at all, he would have jumped to that conclusion right away. This whole thing really has me scratching my head.

Did the brother call the husband after he talked to Diane? or was he unreachable?

 

[SuziQ]

Thanks Steve. So where along the entire trip was the missing hour and half or so?

 

[capoly]

According to this article

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07312009/news/regionalnews/love_your_children_182234.htm


"Trying to retrace her steps, state troopers yesterday drove up the Saw Mill River Parkway to Pleasantville Road, where Schuler took an exit ramp to the Taconic. The ride took 20 to 25 minutes, the right time frame."

[snipped for space]

Had read of this map and routed it out on a map also to get a 'feel' for movement. While it gets her to the Taconic within the time frame, it requires an intentional thought process which imo just wasn't in place with DS. Auto pilot mindset seems more applicable.

Now I am not even a light drinker but am a heavy 'thinker'. Believe me that is an autopilot danger in its own right (perhaps others know what I mean and can verify).

 

[southcitymom]

Ummm, we just got back from a 2-day, mid-week camping trip- 4 hours each way with 1 kid and 1 dog, and yes it was fun...

LOL - we like camping too, LinasK!

 

[southcitymom]

I think one of the most interesting things to me is that her brother never assumed she was under the influence when he talked to her. At least I didn't read anything like that. You would think if she had any history at all, he would have jumped to that conclusion right away. This whole thing really has me scratching my head.

Did the brother call the husband after he talked to Diane? or was he unreachable?

I too find this a key part of the puzzle. I don't think her being loaded ever crossed her brother's mind because I don't think her brother (or any of her family) had ever experienced her that way.

 

[southcitymom]

[snipped for space]

Had read of this map and routed it out on a map also to get a 'feel' for movement. While it gets her to the Taconic within the time frame, it requires an intentional thought process which imo just wasn't in place with DS. Auto pilot mindset seems more applicable.

Now I am not even a light drinker but am a heavy 'thinker'. Believe me that is an autopilot danger in its own right (perhaps others know what I mean and can verify).

I like "heavy thinker" and it surely suits you, cap. I am completely with you that there was an autopilot aspect to this terrible collision.

I much understand what you are talking about with autopilot and have had some real experience with that as well (though, fortunately, none that have ended it disaster).

 

[Wonder]

That's what I think may have happened. I think perhaps she stopped at the pull off after Tappen Zee, got out of the vehicle to smoke a joint, and that is when Emma used her phone to call her father because she was scared. Just speculation on my part.

This is a very important point (it was also mentioned by post #844) - I agree, she didn't call her brother for help because she was disorientated and feeling bad - while Diane was outside the car, Emma took her aunt's phone and called her father. When Diane was getting back into the car, Emma broke off the call. Then Diane's brother called her back to talk to Diane - maybe he didn't mention Emma calling (to make matters worse). She did not ask for help because she did not feel good.

My Opinion: She was a functioning alcoholic and no one knew. After the fact, people close to her will start putting 2 and 2 together and start thinking about her behavior over the past few years -- then they will see the pattern. In order for her to drink that much in such a short time and not be an alcholic, she would of been very physically sick. Functioning alcholics need some alc0hol just to act "normal" -- then they drink more (because they want to or can't stop) and become drunk.

I agree that once she got on Taconic, she "hunkered" down and focused on driving in what she thought was the slow lane.

I agree that if her husband thought she would drink on the way home (or was drunk) he would not have let her drive with any of the kids in the car with her.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of this case. I appreciate all the input, questions, and discussion.

 

[southcitymom]

This is a very important point (it was also mentioned by post #844) - I agree, she didn't call her brother for help because she was disorientated and feeling bad - while Diane was outside the car, Emma took her aunt's phone and called her father. When Diane was getting back into the car, Emma broke off the call. Then Diane's brother called her back to talk to Diane - maybe he didn't mention Emma calling (to make matters worse). She did not ask for help because she did not feel good.

My Opinion: She was a functioning alcoholic and no one knew. After the fact, people close to her will start putting 2 and 2 together and start thinking about her behavior over the past few years -- then they will see the pattern. In order for her to drink that much in such a short time and not be an alcholic, she would of been very physically sick. Functioning alcholics need some alc0hol just to act "normal" -- then they drink more (because they want to or can't stop) and become drunk.

I agree that once she got on Taconic, she "hunkered" down and focused on driving in what she thought was the slow lane.

I agree that if her husband thought she would drink on the way home (or was drunk) he would not have let her drive with any of the kids in the car with her.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of this case. I appreciate all the input, questions, and discussion.

Welcome, Wonder. Everything you post makes a lot of sense.

 

[JBean]

I was just looking at bingmaps of the intersection where she turned left. Is it just me or are there any markings that this is a "do not enter" situation? Around here there are huge DO NOT ENTER signs on either side of the road. in the map I am looking at I can see on sign way to the left and i assume it says something, but man this looks like people would possibly turn on this all day long.
So locals, is this as dangerous as it looks?

 

[RR0004]

Sorry to veer off on a tangent here, but that weekend wasn't a holiday weekend, was it? Just a regular 2 days? I can't for the life of me imagine driving 4 hours (there and 4 back!) for two days of camping with five kids and a dog. Not for fun, anyway! And they were leaving the campsite first thing Sunday morning, right? So, drive 8 hours to spend a day camping? I'm obviously not a camper so it all sounds ridiculous to me, but after a week at work I'd be more inclined to rest at home, especially given the three nieces were due at a rehearsal on the Sunday afternoon.

Does this kind of schedule make sense to any one?

It's done all the time in these parts. LOL

 

[RR0004]

I was just looking at bingmaps of the intersection where she turned left. Is it just me or are there any markings that this is a "do not enter" situation? Around here there are huge DO NOT ENTER signs on either side of the road. in the map I am looking at I can see on sign way to the left and i assume it says something, but man this looks like people would possibly turn on this all day long.
So locals, is this as dangerous as it looks?

I'll have to go and take a look at what you're referring to, but signs around here (especially NJ) are notoriously missing. It's nuts!

 

[JBean]

I'll have to go and take a look at what you're referring to, but signs around here (especially NJ) are notoriously missing. It's nuts!

It is positively frightening. There are lots of trees camouflaging the freeway and i see only one sign that presumably says do not enter it is set off the road. Like I said, what i am used to are HUGE signs that sit right on top of the road entrance, not off on a shoulder but in your face. often two on top each other and on both sides of the entrance/exit. I have an arrow pointing to what I assume is a Do Not Enter sign.

I think it was Capoly that posted earlier that she may have thought she was turning somewhere else due to her stupor. I totally get that.


Southcitymom if you are here, what do you think about her level of functionality as compared to the amount of alcohol she had ingested?

 

[tapu]

10 drinks.... I'd say, signs or no signs, she could go astray in a number of ways.

 

[capoly]

I was just looking at bingmaps of the intersection where she turned left. Is it just me or are there any markings that this is a "do not enter" situation? Around here there are huge DO NOT ENTER signs on either side of the road. in the map I am looking at I can see on sign way to the left and i assume it says something, but man this looks like people would possibly turn on this all day long.
So locals, is this as dangerous as it looks?

Wrong Way signs added to Taconic crash ramp

http://lohud.com/article/20090807/NEWS02/908070393/-1/SPORTS


ETA Haven't heard much on this......
5 hurt in earlier wrong-way Taconic crash
July 27, 2009
Michael Miksad, 25, was due for arraignment in Kent Town Court yesterday on a misdemeanor DWI charge and several vehicle and traffic violations. The crash was one of two wrong-way cases on the Taconic yesterday - one later in the day in Briarcliff Manor killed eight people, four of them children. A fifth child was in critical condition.


http://www.lohud.com/article/20090727/NEWS04/907270329

 

[JBean]

Wrong Way signs added to Taconic crash ramp

http://lohud.com/article/20090807/NEWS02/908070393/-1/SPORTS


ETA Haven't heard much on this......
5 hurt in earlier wrong-way Taconic crash
July 27, 2009
Michael Miksad, 25, was due for arraignment in Kent Town Court yesterday on a misdemeanor DWI charge and several vehicle and traffic violations. The crash was one of two wrong-way cases on the Taconic yesterday - one later in the day in Briarcliff Manor killed eight people, four of them children. A fifth child was in critical condition.


http://www.lohud.com/article/20090727/NEWS04/907270329

Great find. Thank you Capoly.

 

[delaney]

I like "heavy thinker" and it surely suits you, cap. I am completely with you that there was an autopilot aspect to this terrible collision.

I much understand what you are talking about with autopilot and have had some real experience with that as well (though, fortunately, none that have ended it disaster).

I think if she was in a black-out, which I believe to be the right terminology?,
that her alcoholism, must have been quite advanced.

I don't know the answer to this...do heavy drinkers have functional black-outs? I didn't think so.


Southcity mom, you are one courages person to share your story so openly
with the rest of us. It is hard for some to understand but for us to keep our sobriety, we have to share our knowledge of alcoholism and our past in order
to remain sober ourselves and yet we risk losing the esteem of some posters to do that. thank-you