8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway #2

[Only4Justice]

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=320986

I do not think Diane would have consumed vodka and then driven the car. If she wanted to drink or get drunk, she would have waited until a few hours later when she arrived home.

I do not think she was trying to commit suicide. She would not have taken all the children with her.

I do not think Daniel is in denial. I think he believes something happened. I believe something happened.

It is a mystery. And the above link tells how there can be false autopsy alcohol reports.

IMO, this case is what it appears to be. A tragic drunk driving accident. There are no winners here, just lots of victims at the hands of a drunk driver.

 

[zippitydoda]

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=320986

I do not think Diane would have consumed vodka and then driven the car. If she wanted to drink or get drunk, she would have waited until a few hours later when she arrived home.

I do not think she was trying to commit suicide. She would not have taken all the children with her.

I do not think Daniel is in denial. I think he believes something happened. I believe something happened.

It is a mystery. And the above link tells how there can be false autopsy alcohol reports.

Welcome to Websleuth Jackwestside,

The documented facts are that DS chose to get extremely drunk and smoke pot while driving a van full of five children. It is the ultimate sad truth that DS did take these children with her - she killed her own family. These five children, and her other three adult victims could not defend themselves against DS and her drunk driving.

As to the idea that if she wanted to get drunk, she would have waited a few hours to get home:

The ride home should have taken DS less than an hour and a half - we now know that she deliberately drove around aimlessly for over four hours, taking phone calls, drinking and smoking pot, and was no where near her home when she caused this accident. I simply say if DS wanted to go home that day, she would have driven home - the fact is that she didn't drive home.

Nova and all, how are you? This thread has new comments and I see that we are back discussing this sad story again. I look forward to everyone's comments... perhaps the multitude of upcoming lawsuits might provided insight as to what lead DS to her actions that day.

http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/policereport/schuler, diane_police_report.pdf

See attached for witness statements of seeing DS throwing up or ill on the side of the road...see page 10 # 41 & page 12 # 59

 

[redheadedgal]

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=320986

1957??!!

:waitasec:

(the advanced tests conducted today are in no way close to comparable to the type of "technology" that existed 50+ years ago)


btw, anyone else read how the criteria for "drunkenness"/inability to drive back then was .15 -- 2x today's .08 limit? oy!!

 

[JakeWestSide]

Welcome to Websleuth Jackwestside,
The ride home should have taken DS less than an hour and a half - we now know that she deliberately drove around aimlessly for over four hours, taking phone calls, drinking and smoking pot, and was no where near her home when she caused this accident. I simply say if DS wanted to go home that day, she would have driven home - the fact is that she didn't drive home.

Why did she drive around aimlessly? This is what I want to know. Why was she disoriented?

Maybe she could not get home because she was confused. Why?

There was something wrong with Aunt Diane that morning and I choose to believe her behavior that day was out of character.

Something had to have happened other than: I am depressed and angry and want to get high and drunk this morning.

I joined this forum to discuss what may have happened, and I really am finding the pages of previous posts very interesting. I am sure there are others who think this is a mystery, not just cut and dry.

 

[zippitydoda]

Why did she drive around aimlessly? This is what I want to know. Why was she disoriented?

Maybe she could not get home because she was confused. Why?

There was something wrong with Aunt Diane that morning and I choose to believe her behavior that day was out of character.

Something had to have happened other than: I am depressed and angry and want to get high and drunk this morning.

I joined this forum to discuss what may have happened, and I really am finding the pages of previous posts very interesting. I am sure there are others who think this is a mystery, not just cut and dry.

When someone consumes massive amounts of alcohol, and then drives their car headon into another killing seven other people along with themself, they can only do that one time....so maybe its easy for someone to say it was out of character, but I say it was her character simply because its what she did. It just also happened to be her final act on this earth.

It still seems so shocking and senseless, but nothing she, or anyone else, could say will excuse what she did that day. Mystery is why she did it, but not what she did.

 

[CCmakes3]

Why did she drive around aimlessly? This is what I want to know. Why was she disoriented?

Maybe she could not get home because she was confused. Why?

There was something wrong with Aunt Diane that morning and I choose to believe her behavior that day was out of character.

Something had to have happened other than: I am depressed and angry and want to get high and drunk this morning.

I joined this forum to discuss what may have happened, and I really am finding the pages of previous posts very interesting. I am sure there are others who think this is a mystery, not just cut and dry.

I think the only way you would get much consensus with your theory would be if a private investigator were to turn up some new evidence in the case. I for one believe that LE performed a thorough investigation, but I do feel badly that the PI the family hired seems to have taken them for a ride. Perhaps if they do prevail in some of their lawsuits they will be able to afford a more reputable PI and turn up some new information that would be useful in understanding why the tragedy happened (although I hope they will devote the bulk of any monetary rewards to Bryan).

JakeWestSide, you sound as if you might have a personal connection to this case or to Diane's family. If so, I truly wish you peace.

 

[Nova]

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=320986

I do not think Diane would have consumed vodka and then driven the car. If she wanted to drink or get drunk, she would have waited until a few hours later when she arrived home.

I do not think she was trying to commit suicide. She would not have taken all the children with her.

I do not think Daniel is in denial. I think he believes something happened. I believe something happened.

It is a mystery. And the above link tells how there can be false autopsy alcohol reports.

But Jake, even if one discounts the alcohol found in Diane's blood (and I see no reason to do so), her urine was also tested AND they found a significant quality of vodka still sitting in her stomach. That last detail has nothing to do with inaccurate BAC tests.

I'm willing to listen, but I don't understand how you can conclude that Diane didn't consume vodka that morning, children notwithstanding.

 

[Nova]

Welcome to Websleuth Jackwestside,

The documented facts are that DS chose to get extremely drunk and smoke pot while driving a van full of five children. It is the ultimate sad truth that DS did take these children with her - she killed her own family. These five children, and her other three adult victims could not defend themselves against DS and her drunk driving.

As to the idea that if she wanted to get drunk, she would have waited a few hours to get home:

The ride home should have taken DS less than an hour and a half - we now know that she deliberately drove around aimlessly for over four hours, taking phone calls, drinking and smoking pot, and was no where near her home when she caused this accident. I simply say if DS wanted to go home that day, she would have driven home - the fact is that she didn't drive home.

Nova and all, how are you? This thread has new comments and I see that we are back discussing this sad story again. I look forward to everyone's comments... perhaps the multitude of upcoming lawsuits might provided insight as to what lead DS to her actions that day.

http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/policereport/schuler, diane_police_report.pdf

See attached for witness statements of seeing DS throwing up or ill on the side of the road...see page 10 # 41 & page 12 # 59

I'm fine, zip. How are you?

10:41 merely says Diane "appeared to be ill", while 12:59 says Diane was leaning on her knees "as if she had been throwing up".

I haven't read the entire document, but those two statements reflect what I thought, that people who saw Diane thought she appeared ill, they didn't necessarily see her vomiting.

Because if she DID vomit, then she must have been chugging vodka like a madwoman to refill her stomach before she died. (I'm using the word "fill" loosely; I realize her stomach wasn't full to capacity.)

 

[Chewy]

Here's what she did. She was drunk before she even got in the car. That's WHY she got in the car with the kids. She wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe some annoyance with her husband. She was a secretive drinker and hid her alcohol. She also hid her drunkeness. Very easy to do. I have had 6 drinks in the space of an hour before and no one thinks I'm even the slightest bit tipsy until I lay down and then the room spins.


When she got to the McDonalds she misjudged. She used a large cup when in reality she may have used a thermos or some other sized cup for her "roadie" that no one knew about. This time she loaded it with vodka. She mixed it with something (lemonade, oj, sprite) and didn't realize how strong the drink was because she was drinking it through a straw.

She got hopped up at the MC'D's and that's where she had her joint. Then she hit the road with the kids tacked down ready to roll not having realized how much alcohol she'd consumed at this point.

She pulls over and pukes thinking she just drank too much all at once, trying to clean out her system. Then she gets back in the car and tries to sort herself out and have another sip or so.

Then she blacks out.

Her behavior is classic alcoholic.

 

[JakeWestSide]

JakeWestSide, you sound as if you might have a personal connection to this case or to Diane's family. If so, I truly wish you peace.

I have no personal connection to this case. However, I watched "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane," and just believe this is a tragedy in a mystery and it is not as it all appears.

I do not think she was an alcoholic and I do not think Daniel is in denial. Those interviewed in the documentary did not present a profile of Diane that substantiates that conclusion. Something had to have happened.

She was driving around for four hours. Where did she go? What was going on? That needs to be determined.

I think something happened. I think there needs to be more investigation.

Is the family still pursuing this or have they dropped the plan to have her body exhumed?

added: To consume that amount of alcohol at that time in the morning when she had to drive the children back home and she knew that she had to drive would make her insane. She was not insane. She had her wits about her in McDonalds and was not drunk. She did not leave the campground drunk. There is a missing piece here...

 

[CarolinaMoon]

Jack, there are a lot of people out there who are closet alcoholics. I know, because I lived with one!

It was my grandmother who was disabled and living with us. She was semi-bedridden. I was in my early teens and my job was to run and fetch for her. What I didn't learn until many, many years later, my kindergarden sister also fetched for her. Grandma would call the local liquor store that delivered. They would bring a bottle of vodka to the house. after little sister was home from her morning at school. Grandma would give her a check and have her answer the door and deliver the goods. She was also charged with disposing of the bottles.

My sister told me that the jig was up when, one day, my mother came home early from work and found herself at the door with the delivery man.

Until then, nobody in the family had a clue that a good part of grandma's disability was alcoholism.

 

[CCmakes3]

I have no personal connection to this case. However, I watched "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane," and just believe this is a tragedy in a mystery and it is not as it all appears.

I do not think she was an alcoholic and I do not think Daniel is in denial. Those interviewed in the documentary did not present a profile of Diane that substantiates that conclusion. Something had to have happened.

She was driving around for four hours. Where did she go? What was going on? That needs to be determined.

I think something happened. I think there needs to be more investigation.

Is the family still pursuing this or have they dropped the plan to have her body exhumed?

added: To consume that amount of alcohol at that time in the morning when she had to drive the children back home and she knew that she had to drive would make her insane. She was not insane. She had her wits about her in McDonalds and was not drunk. She did not leave the campground drunk. There is a missing piece here...

The only way there will ever be more investigation is if the family hires another private investigator, because police have closed the case. I haven't heard anything about exhuming the body for over a year. It would seem the family has dropped that plan, but I don't know for certain.

 

[zippitydoda]

I have no personal connection to this case. However, I watched "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane," and just believe this is a tragedy in a mystery and it is not as it all appears.

I do not think she was an alcoholic and I do not think Daniel is in denial. Those interviewed in the documentary did not present a profile of Diane that substantiates that conclusion. Something had to have happened.

She was driving around for four hours. Where did she go? What was going on? That needs to be determined.

I think something happened. I think there needs to be more investigation.

Is the family still pursuing this or have they dropped the plan to have her body exhumed?

added: To consume that amount of alcohol at that time in the morning when she had to drive the children back home and she knew that she had to drive would make her insane. She was not insane. She had her wits about her in McDonalds and was not drunk. She did not leave the campground drunk. There is a missing piece here...

Something had to have happened

Do you mean something medical? something emotional? something out of her control?

She was driving around for four hours. Where did she go? What was going on? That needs to be determined.

The roads and areas where DS drove and stopped during these hours is well documented via toll records, witnesses and cell phone records.

I think there needs to be more investigation.

LE has investigated this case - "Diane Schuler died in the crash and the charges died with her," Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8350259

I would suggest that unless someone who knows something relevent finally speaks up, this will remain a closed case.

She was not insane.

I know of no proof of her sanity that day or at the time of the crash.

She had her wits about her in McDonalds and was not drunk

I know of no proof that she had her wits about her, was not drunk or under the influence at McDonalds.

She did not leave the campground drunk.

I know of no proof that she was not drunk, or under the influence, at the campground.

 

[Nova]

I have no personal connection to this case. However, I watched "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane," and just believe this is a tragedy in a mystery and it is not as it all appears.

I do not think she was an alcoholic and I do not think Daniel is in denial. Those interviewed in the documentary did not present a profile of Diane that substantiates that conclusion. Something had to have happened.

She was driving around for four hours. Where did she go? What was going on? That needs to be determined.

I think something happened. I think there needs to be more investigation.

Is the family still pursuing this or have they dropped the plan to have her body exhumed?

added: To consume that amount of alcohol at that time in the morning when she had to drive the children back home and she knew that she had to drive would make her insane. She was not insane. She had her wits about her in McDonalds and was not drunk. She did not leave the campground drunk. There is a missing piece here...

Welcome to WS, Jake! Most of us who post in this thread have also watched that documentary multiple times.

Isn't there testimony in the doc that Diane was a regular after work at a neighborhood bar? I know the "three-martini lunch" and "stopping for drinks after work" were common 40 or 50 years ago, but I don't know anybody who does that nowadays, particularly not if they have to drive home afterwards.

To me, that suggests Diane may have been a "high functioning" alcoholic, meaning one in whom the effects of drinking weren't always obvious.

For all we know, on the morning of the accident she may have started out drunk from the night before. Alcohol isn't MY cure for a hangover, but it seems to be for some people. Or perhaps the alcohol she'd already consumed simply clouded her judgment.

What was she doing for four hours? Well, part of the time she was having breakfast at McDonald's; but most of the time, it appears she may have been lost. Also, traffic was very heavy that day.

 

[redheadedgal]

This is just speculation, but is it possible that she got a restaurant employee very angry when they had to cook up those chicken fingers.

both KISS and occam's razor suggest the most probable and easiest to explain scenario is what happened.

<modsnip>...

 

[Davereid]

Ahh yes. This is why we cannot stop talking about it and it you were like me thinking about it at times. The most logical answer is that she snapped. She was pissed because her husband was a dolt who never helped her with the kids or the house even though she worked all the time. She was pissed she had to cart her brother's kids to their dance practice or whatever extracurricular activity she was taking them too. She was pissed she had no time for herself. I have 3 kids 8 and under. Just got one out of diapers this year. I work full time in a supervisor position. Usually withholding sex because I am too tired from work and taking care of kids and house works for my husband and he gets the message. As a cop he is home more during the week. She made a selfish, horrible decision that screwed up the lives of 4 families.
Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[rpd113]

Isn't there testimony in the doc that Diane was a regular after work at a neighborhood bar?

That came from an anonymous source in a N.Y. Post article, not the film. Since there was no other evidence presented along this line, I tend to doubt it.

As to whether Diane was drunk at the campground, there's a bit of evidence she was not; the campground manager said she talked to her up close and saw no evidence of drinking. That said, people can indulge in alcohol without that being obvious to others/strangers, especially seasoned drinkers.

As to Jake's "something happened" line, I continue to think it was the phone call with Warren Hance. That is when the wheels came off, so to speak. We'll probably never know why, but I suspect it had to do with talk of Diane's mother, whom she hated and kept her kids away from.

With all due respect, I can't fathom conjuring a creative theory like Diane having been "slipped a mickey" for a woman with a ton of alcohol and some marijuana in her system whom we know to have been a marijuana smoker and who was found with a big bottle of vodka in the car. A bottle of vodka her husband Daniel later made some conflicting/untruthful statements about.

 

[Nova]

That came from an anonymous source in a N.Y. Post article, not the film. Since there was no other evidence presented along this line, I tend to doubt it.

As to whether Diane was drunk at the campground, there's a bit of evidence she was not; the campground manager said she talked to her up close and saw no evidence of drinking. That said, people can indulge in alcohol without that being obvious to others/strangers, especially seasoned drinkers.

As to Jake's "something happened" line, I continue to think it was the phone call with Warren Hance. That is when the wheels came off, so to speak. We'll probably never know why, but I suspect it had to do with talk of Diane's mother, whom she hated and kept her kids away from.

With all due respect, I can't fathom conjuring a creative theory like Diane having been "slipped a mickey" for a woman with a ton of alcohol and some marijuana in her system whom we know to have been a marijuana smoker and who was found with a big bottle of vodka in the car. A bottle of vodka her husband Daniel later made some conflicting/untruthful statements about.

Thank you for the clarification, rpd. An unnamed source in the POST (or any other paper) is indeed problematic.

I do remember the testimony of the camp manager, but I just assume that means Diane did not "appear" to be drunk yet. With five kids in the car and a moderately lengthy drive ahead, I don't assume that conversation lasted very long.

Didn't the call to Warren Hance begin with Diane's niece saying "Something's wrong with Aunt Diane?" Or am I confusing one call with another? (Quite possible.)

I agree with you re the "mickey" theory. I don't find it likely.

 

[JakeWestSide]

I am back, I was without power here in NYC from Hurricane Sandy.

My conclusions are objective and based on the documentary, "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane." It's also based on articles I have read about Diane being confrontational in McDonalds.

People who work in restaurants do sick things when customers complain. They spit in food and guess what? A cook urinated on my friend's meal in a diner.

Yes, there was alcohol in her system. It could be that she thought the vodka was water. And the marijuana could have been from weeks ago. It stays in your system.

I choose to believe she did not get drunk before that ride home. Even if she were a raging alcoholic I would not believe she would drink that much alcohol with all those kids in the car.

There is no evidence to show she was psychotic or that much of a drinker that she could not wait until she got home to pour herself a stiff drink.

 

[nervous_nellie]

with all due respect there is absolutely no way a person could mistake vodka for water if they tasted it...vodka looks like water but it sure doesnt taste like water...moo...