8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway

[Native New Yorker]

At first I read that the cell phone was placed somewhere, but later I read that it had been thrown out of the car ( perhaps it was marked and dented).
If the latter was true, it would indicate anger, and not wanting to be tracked/traced. All of which go towards premeditation.

As for the brother, yes, he told her to wait, and he would find her, but some accounts then say he waited 40 minutes to call 911. If that is true, why?

 

[reb]

OK,, but then why did everyone say she was totally fine and had NO medical issues that could have caused the crash? Was she a 'secret' diabetic too? I find that hard to believe. Or did she become a diabetic all of a sudden, that morning?

 

[gaia227]

I thought I saw it reported that she made $40,000 something or thereabouts from Cablevision but that could be wrong.
Shoot I make what their two salaries are combined and have no kids and couldn't afford the $340,000 house they have. Especially in NY where the cost of living seems to be higher.

I would bet she was a bit stressed.

Her husband makes $43,000 and I think she made around the same. My fiance and i have a combined income of just a little more than theirs and we are still living paycheck to paycheck. There is no way we could afford a 340,000 house without it putting a huge financial strain on us - actually it would be impossible. Not to mention, I live in NY and the cost of living is much higher than other places in the country. A $340,000 in NY is actually not considered that extravagant whereas elsewhere in the country $340,000 would get you a pretty nice, big house. You can't even buy a one bedroom apt in NYC for less than $500,000 but the cost of real estate in Manhattan is obviously outrageous. I have never been to Staten Island, unless you count taking the ferry there and back just for fun (great views of the city once you get out into NY Harbor) and don't know much about it but considering it is a burrough of NYC I can't imagine the cost of living is very much cheaper.

 

[Kat]

No she did not have "secret" diabetes.

It was reported that she had gestational diabetes which can often resolve itself with the birth of the child.

But IMHO if the family or the reporters are going to start throwing out illnesses that they think might have caused her to do this then it needs to be ruled out. JMHO.

 

[reb]

Here's the thing...... anyone with half a brain and a shred of conscience would know enough to call the cops IMMEDIATELY after finding out someone- in this case- the guy's own SISTER, with his own kids (....!!!!) was behind the wheel drunk, or sick and unable to see. Apparently he kept calling her for the next 30 minutes. (!!!) But to wait, and not call the cops right away?? It seems unbelievable. It smacks of trying to protect someone's reputation. (what other reason could there possibly be...?) Or maybe she was hysterical, afraid she would lose custody of the kids if she & hub got a divorce. Maybe she was begging brother to not call cops But.. her brother was presumably in his right mind, correct? She was unable to drive, on the highway.. with kids,, including HIS OWN KIDS IN THE CAR. What kind of person would WAIT and not call the cops?? Especially when she was, supposedly, right across from the police station. Most parents would do ANYTHING to protect their kids. It boggles the mind. What the h*ll was he doing for all that time...?? Believe me.. many people are asking the same question and investigators are on it, among other things. The public, the other 2 survivors who were injured, as well as the victims' families..... they/we all have a right to know.

 

[southcitymom]

I think what the husband is saying is that some of sudden mysterious brain 'storm' (with unknown medical or mental cause).. caused her to act in a totally irrational way, throw all common sense, judgement, and maternal instincts out the window, have a sudden breakdown, and within a few hours, decide to start binge drinking to the point of oblivion. I guess it's possible. But I would say the odds of this happening would be one in a million, verses the odds of her already being a closet alkie........?? FAR more likely.

Truly, I feel this way too, reb....and I think the family may realize they are grasping for straws because it sounds like they are backing off of having her exhumed.

Still, I understand how flabbergasted they must feel if their first indication of a substance abuse problem is the fiery death of so many family members.

 

[southcitymom]

It was reported in an article yesterday that they wanted her exhumed to also make sure it wasn't a diabetic reaction.

Drinking and diabetes don't mix, I speak and write from personal experience as I have a family member who had to quit drinking so that this type of accident didn't happen to him.

Ironically, many alcoholics are on either end of the spectrum - diabetic or hypoglycemic (I am hypoglycemic). It's interesting.

 

[reb]

But Kat, all these things were already ruled out, so we were told...

 

[southcitymom]

I'm with NNYer on this one. I'm mystified about the cellphone.

Where it was found is not where you would get out of your car. It's very dangerous. If I saw someone out of their car in this location I would be thinking to myself that they are out of their minds. She would have had to open her car door right into traffic and then go around to the passenger side and place the cellphone on the wall where it was found. And there would have been a million cars driving right past and someone would have noticed that she was out of her car (and would have come forward by now).

OR... she threw the phone out the passenger window as she was driving by and that's where it landed (and this would be very difficult - it most likely would land in the roadway than on the wall).

LE needs to get her cellphone records, look at her computer, talk to her son.



I don't know what made him call the police but I'm guessing it is because he could no longer reach her on her cellphone. He would not have reached the Tappan Zee from his house in 33 minutes even if he were doing 80 MPH the whole way.

Perhaps, he called the police when he was on his way to the Tappan Zee Bridge - he was trying to call her as he got closer -let her know he was coming and he couldn't get her on her cell - so then he started to really worry - he already knew she was feeling odd and now he can't get her - he's wondering if this is some full-blown medical event with her having a heart attack or something and the kids in the car on the side of the road with no adult, so he calls the police then. Again, I don't find this odd.

With the cell phone in the odd place, I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that she pulled over and she was drunk and feeling like hell and she got out of the passenger side of her car (because getting out on the driver's side was too dangerous) for some air, to call her brother, maybe throw up - and that's where she left the phone. I don't think she threw it from the car, I think she was out of the car for the bit.

 

[SuziQ]

It was reported in an article yesterday that they wanted her exhumed to also make sure it wasn't a diabetic reaction.

Drinking and diabetes don't mix, I speak and write from personal experience as I have a family member who had to quit drinking so that this type of accident didn't happen to him.

My understanding is there was no medical reason found for what happened. I think the level of BAC and THC alone would have caused this with or without any other contributing factors. He wants to exhume her and that's his right. But why just say you are thinking about doing it? Why not just do it?

 

[zippitydoda]

I don't know what happened here. If the tox reports are correct, and I don't know any reason why they would not be, this woman went on a drinking binge, with a little reefer too, while driving 5 kids home. It’s so bizarre. For the husband to say he never saw her drink, that’s bizarre too. Never is never ever. I don’t know what the husband knows. Maybe he knows nothing, and he truly was unaware. Or maybe he does know things and is protecting one of his own. This will play out over time and things will come out. They always do. I can't imagine the hell he is in now, one moment everything is fine, and then next, his entire world is turn apart.

Do you think drinking this much in this short period of time would make a light/social drinker vomit?

 

[Kat]

But Kat, all these things were already ruled out, so we were told...

Then I'm sorry for bringing it up. I truly am.

I was cooking and trying to read the threads and missed where all the the illnesses that the perp's family has suggested were ruled out.

Never mind me! :crazy:

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Here's the thing...... anyone with half a brain and a shred of conscience would know enough to call the cops IMMEDIATELY after finding out someone- in this case- the guy's own SISTER, with his own kids (....!!!!) was behind the wheel drunk, or sick and unable to see. Apparently he kept calling her for the next 30 minutes. (!!!) But to wait, and not call the cops right away?? It seems unbelievable. It smacks of trying to protect someone's reputation. (what other reason could there possibly be...?) Or maybe she was hysterical, afraid she would lose custody of the kids if she & hub got a divorce. Maybe she was begging brother to not call cops But.. her brother was presumably in his right mind, correct? She was unable to drive, on the highway.. with kids,, including HIS OWN KIDS IN THE CAR. What kind of person would WAIT and not call the cops?? Especially when she was, supposedly, right across from the police station. Most parents would do ANYTHING to protect their kids. It boggles the mind. What the h*ll was he doing for all that time...?? Believe me.. many people are asking the same question and investigators are on it, among other things. The public, the other 2 survivors who were injured, as well as the victims' families..... they/we all have a right to know.

He did call the cops, no?

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Then I'm sorry for bringing it up. I truly am.

I was cooking and trying to read the threads and missed where all the the illnesses that the perp's family has suggested were ruled out.

Never mind me! :crazy:

I don't know that they were all completely ruled out. You're ok, lol ...

 

[reb]

kat.. no need to be sorry,, it's a lot of info to keep track of, especially when it keeps changing (...!)
and PFmaura, i had read that all medical stuff was ruled out... not sure how they could do it all so fast,, and you would assume that they would be thorough.. but you never know.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

My understanding is there was no medical reason found for what happened. I think the level of BAC and THC alone would have caused this with or without any other contributing factors. He wants to exhume her and that's his right. But why just say you are thinking about doing it? Why not just do it?

Maybe because this is the first time he has ever dealt with this? I don't know... I wanted my sister to have a new autopsy and to see the toxicology results but never pursued it.
She died and I was going through enough grief. I wanted to know if it truly was asthma-related or if it was suicide since she drank and smoked and didn't take her meds, but maybe she did take her meds.

When someone in your family dies in such a manner -- whether is be suddenly and in their sleep like my 49-year old sister or tragically driving the wrong way on the road with an unusually high alcohol level in their bloodstream, killing 7 other people -- you just don't know how to react or how you would act in this situation... what you would say or do.
Maybe they don't have money or life insurance.
A funeral and coffin alone cost around $8,000 for one person with no insurance ...

We are not in their shoes, so obviously, we do not know what we would say, think, feel or do...
I feel the husband is getting unfairly scrutinized here...

 

[southcitymom]

I don't know what happened here. If the tox reports are correct, and I don't know any reason why they would not be, this woman went on a drinking binge, with a little reefer too, while driving 5 kids home. It’s so bizarre. For the husband to say he never saw her drink, that’s bizarre too. Never is never ever. I don’t know what the husband knows. Maybe he knows nothing, and he truly was unaware. Or maybe he does know things and is protecting one of his own. This will play out over time and things will come out. They always do. I can't imagine the hell he is in now, one moment everything is fine, and then next, his entire world is turn apart.

Do you think drinking this much in this short period of time would make a light/social drinker vomit?

I think the husband said he never saw her "drunk" not "drink" - maybe a pina colada here or there - some herb - is what I recall "the family" saying.

ETA - alcohol effects people differently - this much in fours hours could definitely make a light drinker vomit, but honestly, it could also make a heavy drinker vomit. We just don't know enough about her habits.

 

[reb]

How is he being unfairly scrutinized? He claims she was 'fine' and had NO medical conditions that might have caused this. Never saw her drink, etc.. then all of a sudden- well, maybe a little here and there. And OK, err... yeah, she smoked a little pot too. Then he & fam refuse to cooperate with police (!). And once tox reports came out, he gets a sleazeball lawyer, and all of a sudden she had all these odd, mysteriously undiagnosed (they have good jobs, don't they have health insurance...?) medical things that somehow made her go buy booze, drugs, get plastered and kill 7 innocent people. In the news conference, he appears angry and defiant instead of shocked and sad. No mention of,, 'we are sorry for your loss'... to the other family. It's possible that he was utterly clueless about any of this.... but most people are under the impression that he is not being completely honest here.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

How is he being unfairly scrutinized? He claims she was 'fine' and had NO medical conditions that might have caused this. Never saw her drink, etc.. then all of a sudden- well, maybe a little here and there. And OK, err... yeah, she smoked a little pot too. Then he & fam refuse to cooperate with police (!). And once tox reports came out, he gets a sleazeball lawyer all of a sudden she had all these odd, mysteriously undiagnosed (they have good jobs, don't they have health insurance...?) medical things that somehow made her go buy booze, drugs, get plastered and kill 7 innocent people. In the news conference, he appears angry and defiant instead of shocked and sad. It's possible that he was utterly clueless about any of this.... but most people are under the impression that he is not being completely honest here.

Maybe because he is hurt and confused. This isn't the kind of accident that happens everyday. What if it happened to one of your family members. How would you react? Would you want all of your words laid out for the public to dissect and rip apart. I'd be angry too if people were ripping on my spouse on the Internet. It's a natural reaction, I would think.

Other than his exact quotes, we don't know exactly what he said.
And we weren't in the car with them, so we don't know exactly what all happened either.

If you have all the answers, then I apologize.
But I don't think any of us know all the answers here... and I for one don't pretend to or judge these people.

 

[reb]

I certainly don't have answers. Which is exactly why (along with thousands of other people),, I am asking so many questions......