8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway

[chicagofa13]

snipped by me

No one in his right mind would allow this disease to be used as an excuse to commit crimes. And I've yet to see anyone on this thread somehow excuse Diane Shuler's behavior. What she did was reprehensible.

The only things I've read (and posted) are insights and explanations about how she could behave the way she did, especially with her children and nieces in the vehicle. I am not an addict, but I know several in recovery, and from their stories, I can imagine how this woman came to this point.

You can't force an addict into treatment. All you do is waste time, money and resources on a person who will use the minute they're out of treatment. You can take away their DL and their vehicles, but unless you guard them 24/7, they can find a way around it. It happens every day. This is a disease of the mind, not the body.

Drug and alcohol related arrests, injuries and deaths occur every day without fail. The only reason this particular case is attracting so much attention is because of the number of needless deaths and the seeming contradiction of a suburban working mother who was a closet addict.

I'm speaking of anyone (not on WS necessarily) who would use alcoholism as an excuse for a crime. To me a loaded weapon is a loaded weapon, no matter if it is a car or a gun. If she had shot a place up it would be a "mass murder", but somehow this is an "accident".

Off topic but related, I hope some of you got a chance to see "60 Minutes" last Sunday night on CBS. They had a piece about about the wrong-way drunk who killed little a little girl and her family's limo driver after a wedding (also in NY, made huge headlines as the little girl was decapitated). The mother discussed how she only had her daughter's head to hold on to after the accident, since that is all she could find. The discussion revolved around treating this as murder, rather than negligent homicide. It was a must see discussion IMO.

 

[Noway]

This "false high" of course, does not negate that there was quite a bit of alcohol in Diane's stomach and the mariajuana.

 

[Noway]

This is so confusing. Where are those who sold her alcohol or who witnessed her buying it? Where are those who suspected? Surely there must be one person who can attest to her alcoholism.

My guess is there are people who "knew" or "suspected" and they are keeping quiet to cover their asses.

I believe also on Issues, it was mentioned that the family of the 3 men killed were possibly going to sue (the husband I guess since he is surviving spouse). Who knows who else could potentially be on that list: people who "knew" she drank secretly ...

Did she have the bottle in her possession when she left the campground or did she stop somewhere (while they were at McDonalds eating) and buy alcohol? Something LE is looking at, I'm sure.

 

[redheadedgal]

I did hear on (I think) Issues with JVM, someone saying that in cases of heat being present (like the car on fire) there could be higher BAC levels (false highs).

I'll check the transcript and see who said it/what was actually said.

i believe someone responded to that comment stating that the ME/toxicologist would have adjusted the number for this situation - if applicable.

 

[Noway]

i believe someone responded to that comment stating that the ME/toxicologist would have adjusted the number for this situation - if applicable.

Thank you! I believe it was a caller who noted that the .19 BAC was her level at the time of autopsy and that at the time of the crash it would have been higher.

I don't know how much time passed between crash and autopsy and how much a BAC would drop during that time. I was only listening with half an ear (or less). Do you know whether they commented further on this?

 

[chicagofa13]

i believe someone responded to that comment stating that the ME/toxicologist would have adjusted the number for this situation - if applicable.

Correct.

Wendy Murphy brought it up. There supposedly is research that a reading could be high if there was incineration. However, another TH dismissed this and said they account for that. Wendy very much believes she was drunk and that a higher reading due to a fire does not explain the alcohol in her stomach!

I love that a TH on JVM called Barbara a fantastic actor for being able to get up and say what he is saying.

 

[chicagofa13]

Thank you! I believe it was a caller who noted that the .19 BAC was her level at the time of autopsy and that at the time of the crash it would have been higher.

I don't know how much time passed between crash and autopsy and how much a BAC would drop during that time. I was only listening with half an ear (or less). Do you know whether they commented further on this?

I don't think they discussed it further. Sounds to me like the reading might have been LOW since it was so long after the accident!

 

[redheadedgal]

This is so confusing. Where are those who sold her alcohol or who witnessed her buying it? Where are those who suspected? Surely there must be one person who can attest to her alcoholism.

if she (or her hubs) purchased alcohol in their community (or elsewhere), i wonder if the stores had surveillance cameras ? would they destroy the tapes considering they too wouldn't want to be "connected" to this horrendous event ?

 

[chicagofa13]

The husband's PI says the vodka was being transported back and forth in case he wanted a drink. No way I believe that.

 

[redheadedgal]

I love that a TH on JVM called Barbara a fantastic actor for being able to get up and say what he is saying.

what is a TH?


thanks!

 

[Lexington]

what is a TH?


thanks!

Talking Head.

 

[Kat]

Wow chicagofa, is that in print yet? Good grief, that really doesn't sound good does it?

 

[Noway]

One of the husband's attorneys says the vodka was being transported back and forth in case he wanted a drink. No way I believe that.

Why didn't they just leave the bottle at the campground and spring for a new one for home? It made no sense to transport it back and forth. IMO

 

[chicagofa13]

Wow chicagofa, is that in print yet? Good grief, that really doesn't sound good does it?

It was the bald-headed guy at the news conference, Tom Ruskin, the PI hired by the husband. It is from the GMA interview, but I saw it on JVM:

"Let's assume it was in the car, they were known to transport, she was such a person who didn't drink, they would bring the bottle back and forth in case the husband wanted to have a drink at home."

Uhhhhhhhh, right.

If this wasn't a serious matter I would laugh at that explanation.

 

[Noway]

~snipped~

Her blood alcohol level was .19% - twice the legal limit. In fact, Diane Schuler was literally drunk up to her eyeballs: Investigators found alcohol in the fluid. A broken 1.75 liter bottle of Absolut vodka was later found in the wreckage of the car.

The autopsy uncovered no medical explanation for the crash - specifically ruling out stroke, heart attack and diabetes.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/08/07/2009-08-07_daughter_of_.html#ixzz0NYJii0L4

 

[Noway]

It was the bald-headed guy at the news conference, Tom Ruskin, the PI hired by the husband. It is from the GMA interview, but I saw it on JVM:

"Let's assume it was in the car, they were known to transport, she was such a person who didn't drink, they would bring the bottle back and forth in case the husband wanted to have a drink at home."

Uhhhhhhhh, right.

If this wasn't a serious matter I would laugh at that explanation.

I just read the article in which he was saying that they could not determine whether it was in the car or on the ground. I guess he decided to go with the 'in the car scenario'.

Investigators found a broken 1.7 ounce bottle of vodka at the crash scene, but Barbara's private investigator Thomas Ruskin told "GMA" that "we don't know if the vodka bottle was in the car or out of the car," because the car rolled.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=8271806&page=1

 

[Noway]

Maybe ... maybe ... maybe there was no place nearby where they could buy vodka?

I'm not much of a drinker and find it hard to wrap my head around needing to have vodka on my camping trips.

 

[annkitty0630]

In all honestly how much do you think it costs for an addict to fix their habit daily whether it is an alcoholic or drug addict?? They can budget their money accordingly!!! No matter how much money they make or how large of a mortgage they have... JMO

 

[chicagofa13]

I just read the article in which he was saying that they could not determine whether it was in the car or on the ground. I guess he decided to go with the 'in the car scenario'.

Investigators found a broken 1.7 ounce bottle of vodka at the crash scene, but Barbara's private investigator Thomas Ruskin told "GMA" that "we don't know if the vodka bottle was in the car or out of the car," because the car rolled.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=8271806&page=1

I don't know where I heard/read it, but I thought the bottle was found in the passenger seat area????

 

[Noway]

Until I read that article, Chicago, I thought it was in the minivan also ... but I'm not sure whether I read that or it was just my interpretation of what I read.