If he knew his wife was a heavy drinker or a functioning alcoholic, why did he let her drive a van full of kids? Bruno Dekrem. I could swear it was mentioned in the documentary somewhere that Diane Schuler had an Rx for Ambien bc she had trouble sleeping. Okay, so the prose is a bit clunky at times but I don't imagine Jeanne Bastardi ever thought she'd ever find herself writing a book and certainly not on a subject with such raw emotions as this. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Every theory has a credible source. At the same time, her husband left in a gray pickup with their family dog. Psychiatrist Bursztajn said Schuler was the worst kind of perfectionist who learned to self medicate. to us that she told him Schuler had been drinking or smoking, Chiumento said. Written after viewing the notes her husband Michael was keeping, the book is based on his story detailing the drunken driving accident that drew worldwide attention.Jeanne has a degree in Business Administration. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. On July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler left the New York campground where she was vacationing and began her trip home to Long Island with her two children and three nieces in tow. Diane Schuler killed seven innocent people. Please use a different way to share. This condition would account Diane's apparent lack of prior alcoholic behaviors. Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Ada Hart. WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. A man who died in the wrong-way crash that killed eight people on a New York highway survived the impact and suffered at least briefly from pain . The sadness of course is that no-one will ever know exactly what happened in the days leading up to and following the crash. She did not do anything that will make her lose control when driving. There is a quote from Eileen. I don't really think the Hance's did anything wrong, but because they were not forthcoming with the police and what they knew about Dianne, it seemed like they were trying to hide something. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. On that bright sunny day 10 years ago, families were shattered in a fiery crash that killed . Share this memorial using social media sites or email. You don't keep suing peopleIf she was alive today, Diane would likely be in jail.". It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. Immediately after the accident, people involved begin to act very oddly. Please try again. The film follows Schuler's husband, Daniel, and her sister-in-law, Jay Schuler, who for two years have been trying to clear her name, insisting a medical emergency was to blame. This book is odd for a few reasons. Comment. Two hours before Diane Schuler drove the wrong way on an upstate parkway, killing herself and seven others, a motorist saw someone who looked and dressed like her doubled-over on the side of the . "The problem is, it doesn't work for very long," Bursztajn said. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Friends said she smoked marijuana at night to help her sleep but that Schuler showed no signs of alcoholism. I know mine would help. People who knew Schuler said she was a stable, devoted and trustworthy mother, not someone who would put others, especially her children, at risk. Schuler crashed about four hours after leaving a Sullivan County campground at around 9:30 a.m. as she was taking the kids back home. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. This is the story of the infamous Taconic Parkway crash but if you're reading this review then you already knew that. Schuler was responsi. Schuler's family has rallied around the woman blamed for killing eight people, including herself, her daughter, three nieces and three men in a head-on collision on the Taconic State Parkway July 26. The HBO documentary There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane attempted to give us insight as to what motivated Diane Schuler's unthinkable actions on July 26th 2009. Especially, when having children on board Diane will not take . Here is the article that the NY Magazine reporter did. It was a profound catastrophe.". A chronological look at the four hour drive that terrorized motorists destroyed three families and captivated the public.The changing stories, the changing excuses, and the continuing search for the truth. I wish there was a more in-depth written study of this case. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? I think she took one the last night of the camping trip, or maybe had been taking them, and the Ambien caused the confused fugue state she ended up in which could be the reason she drank from the vodka bottle. I bought this in order to fill in some gaps in the story of this tragedy and the book does do that. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Witnesses said her van weaved in and out of lanes traveling down the New York State Thruway and the cries of children were heard in the car in a telephone call to her brother along the way. Drag images here or select from your computer for Diane E. Hance Schuler memorial. always there for me. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Her five-year-old son Brian survived and is hospitalized. She warns that not all those who have upsets in life will end up like Schuler. In the end it changes nothing. They piled into her brother Warren's red 2004 Ford Windstar minivan, while her husband Daniel followed behind in a truck with the family dog. On 2nd anniversary of horrific crash, film explores mindset of Diane Schuler. Diane Schuler's family has spent the weeks since the July 26 Taconic Parkway crash offering explanations for the collision and trying to explain away toxicology reports that show the woman's blood . Oops, something didn't work. Neither is it objective or balanced and why should it be? If you are looking for answers or some information not found elsewhere, this is not the book for you. Because we have never known Diane to be anything but a responsible and caring mother and aunt, this toxicology report raises more questions than it provides answers for the accident., Jackies mom, Phyllis Spagnuolo, told The Post, The Hance family had no idea of what went on on the other side of the family. Here are my thoughts which are now corroborated by the NY Post article: First, wasnt it strange that Diane Schuler called her brother and not her husband on that fateful day? Scott also said Schuler appeared sober the morning she drove away with the kids and was not known to have boozed at the site. Friends and family tell filmmaker Filmmaker Liz Garbus that in every aspect of her life, Diane Schuler strived to be the best. A private investigator hired by Diane's widower said he could find no relative who had ever observed Diane drinking . "The family needs your support. She drives 40 miles an hour.. "There are no easy words," he said. I hope someday this mystery gets untangled. It was caused by mother of two, Dianne Schuler who inexplicably drove her mini van for nearly two miles at high speed, on the wrong side of the road on Taconic Parkway. July 26, 2011— -- Two years after the horrific Taconic State Parkway crash, the husband of Diane Schuler is suing New York State and the father of three nieces who were killed when the Long Island mother drove the wrong way, slamming head-on into another vehicle and killing eight. ; please feel free to email the website for information. Eight people were killed, including Ms. Schuler, her 2-year-old daughter, Erin, and her three nieces, Emma, 8; Alyson, 7; and Katie, 5. "It's a kind of fundamental perfectionism, so that life becomes unbearable in some ways," forensic psychiatrist Dr. Harold Bursztajn told ABCNews.com. News of Schulers alcohol and drug abuse is a crushing blow, said her family, including her brother, Warren Hance, and his wife, Jackie, whose three young daughters died in the crash. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Daniels Account of Morning: Diane Schuler's husband -Got up at 6am-Went down to his boat to clean it-Got back 6.45am-7am-Woke up Diane-Packed bags 'slowly'-Woke up kids and got them dressed-Unloaded camper-Had 'one cup of coffee, two cups of coffee'-Loaded kids into the minivan-Loaded dog into pick-up Left campground together, Four hours later, she sped down the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County driving in the wrong direction. Emma was in a . Evidence that proves Diane Schuler did not take alcohol or drugs. In the smoldering vehicle and twisted metal scattered along the highway, lay the bodies of eight people. Small children, because they are so tied to . She was high on marijuana and had the equivalent of 10 shots of booze in her stomach. Diane Schuler, a mother and aunt with her children and her sister's children in a min-van, goes the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in Westchester county and plows into an SUV head-on killing three in the SUV and 4 children and herself in the mini-van. "She seemed to be good at whatever she attempted," her friend, Sue Troccoli, said. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Schuler's son, Bryan, who suffered a severe head injury that left him with ocular nerve palsy, has said he has no memory of the accident. Written after viewing the notes her husband Michael was keeping, the book is based on his story detailing the drunken driving accident that drew worldwide attention. "For someone like Diane, they try harder and harder and they will never be satisfied with being good enough," he said. But everything had gone drastically awry in the life of Diane Schuler on Sunday, between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 in that afternoon. In the film, Bastardi's daughters say they have forgiven Diane Schuler, but not Daniel and Jay Schuler for denying her guilt in the crash. Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2016. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. She takes Ambien and Vicodin. Nearly two years ago, Diane Schuler drove the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in New York and crashed her minivan into an oncoming S.U.V. . Some of the other reviews suggest that the anger that Jeanne Bastardi documents is unwarranted. "People always ask how I feel about Diane," Hance told the magazine. My brother was always there for me. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Dianne Wilson-Struber and her husband Stephen Struber were both jailed for life in 2015 after murdering Bruce Schuler after he went missing in 2012 near the Palmerville station, north Queensland . This account has been disabled. Also on Thursday, State Police investigators also went to Long Island for a pre-arranged interview with the Hance family and their representatives. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Meanwhile, her husband, Daniel Schuler, was in another vehicle. Hance, 40, lost all three of her daughters in the crash, and yet she recently told Good Housekeeping magazine that Schuler was "the most responsible person I knew." Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Recommended. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? I cannot fathom the pain the Bastardi family went through with losing a father and brother. Anyone with a hangover and red weed eyes would understand this behaviour. But who knows what really happens behind closed doors?. Her 5-year-old son, Brian Schuler, was the only one who survived the crash. Does that make one way better or more right than the other? You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Amidst all the uncertainties of how and why this accident occurred, this is the absolutely last thing that we ever would have expected, the Hances said in a statement. Thanks for contacting us. She refused to participate in the documentary and is now pregnant after in vitro fertilization, due in September. But no no, Diane doesn't drink and no one will even discuss the pot. But owner Ann Scott insisted that such revelers are immediately thrown off the premises. Days later came the headlines; "Wrong Way Crash Mom Drunk and High!". For the last couple of months, she didnt appear to be a happy woman.. As mentioned by the source, Diane was driving a red 2003 Ford Windstar that belonged to her brother. Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Brian's dad, Danny, is inconsolable over the loss of his wife and 2-year-old daughter, Erin. Schuler crashed about four hours after leaving a Sullivan County campground at around 9:30 a.m. as she was taking the kids back home. Up until now the story had been all about the Schulers and the Hances; if the Bastardis wanted their story told they were going to have to do it themselves. Diane's niece died in the hospital . "All of us are very, very sad for the loss of the little girls, and our hearts go out to the family," she said. for more information visit taconictragedy.us. Try again. "Something was wrong. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. She couldn't see" and, "I flew out of the car like superman. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. for more information visit taconictragedy.us. People who knew her reported her to be a devoted mother and wife, and a credit to her job. After crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge headed into Westchester County, Schuler called her brother to say she felt disoriented and was having trouble seeing. Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guest book, condolences, and directions. I believe there is a strong fragrance of criminality. "His wife was drunk and high at the time of the accident that killed seven innocent people. I had built up a tolerance to a rather high blood alcohol content and without it, I was much less functional. I especially remember when he told me that my brother will "alwaysbe [my] brother" and that I should always be there for him--and that my brother would always be there for me. Large pictures of the victims were at the altar. "She never talked about it, almost like she wasn't even there.". The tox levels prove she was drinking and smoking weed within an hour of the crash. Only her son Bryan, then 5, survived. "It's a puzzle," Bursztajn added. A medical examiner found Diane Schuler's blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the state's legal limit of 0.08, according to Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore. The accident made national news. The vehicles seemed to explode as they hit. I am (and was) only 170 pounds. Toxicology reports showed she had a blood alcohol level of .19 over twice the legal limit . Third, most husbands would help their wives out when they have a huge vanload of kids to return to their homes after camping. Accounts taken from actual police reports, witness statements, depositions, and investigators.Takes a look at the failure of the justice system and the making of a cover up. "This is a road she could have done blindfolded," she said. "She didn't indicate specifically what was bothering her, but obviously something was wrong because her brother did ask her to pull over," said State Trooper James Murphy, lead investigator into Westchester's worst highway accident in 75 years. Her marriage seemed a bit rocky, and I think she felt trapped by it, the friend said of Schulers relationship with her husband, Daniel, a Nassau County public-safety officer. Friends may call on Eileens family from 12-2 pm, Thursday, October 10, 2013 at Alexander-Baker Funeral Home, 3809 Main Street, Warrensburg. A case of deceipt, lies, and denials. "At this point in our investigation, we don't know what caused the operator of the vehicle to go the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway," said Capt. Diane was a 36-year-old account executive, bringing home around $100,000 at the time of the crash. . Diane Schuler was a mother of two small children who loaded her own kids and three others into her minivan for a long drive home from a camping trip. Yes, something was wrong with Aunt Diane. Schuler entered the wrong side of the Taconic Parkway, then drove at 70 mph for nearly two miles. The writing is very basic but gets the point across. Diane Schuler and her 2-year-old daughter also died in the accident. Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland, Rebecca Rosenberg, Kieran Crowley, Perry Chiaramonte and Larry Celona. During that call, Hance spoke with one of his daughters, but he never indicated to us that she told him Schuler had been drinking or smoking, Chiumento said. "I'm still numbed," said neighbor Joseph O'Donald, 79. "When people feel burdened and depressed and hopeless," she said, "it's not shameful to reach out and get help. 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Upon release of Diane Schuler's toxicology report both Diane's husband and her brother lawyer up and refuse to cooperate with the investigation in any meaningful way. During that call, Hance spoke with one of his daughters, but he never indicated . Theres no way my husband would abandon me in order to go fishing or go home to conclude a family camping trip. Rounding a curve in the road, she rocketed head on into an oncoming SUV. Try again later. Also, at McDonald's she buys two large cokes. Because we have never known Diane to be anything but a responsible and caring mother and aunt, this toxicology report raises more questions than it provides answers for the accident., Jackies mom, Phyllis Spagnuolo, told The Post, The Hance family had no idea of what went on on the other side of the family. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. . I bought this book to see the Bastardi family's side of things. I was raised in an Italian-American family. The car contained her own two kids and three nieces. "I made many efforts," her mother, Eileen, tells me. Schuler, a 36-year-old Long Island mother of two, was at the wheel, drunk and high, headed south at 70 mph in the northbound lane. Her minivan collided with an SUV, resulting in the deaths of Schuler, her daughter, her three nieces, and three passengers in the other car. Were they drinking and doing drugs? I would just be a zombie!! Several drivers flashed their lights and honked to get Schuler's attention. All of a sudden, a red minivan comes around the curve at 85 mph going the wrong way and collide with the men head on. Probably because of this, from the New York Daily News: The families of the three Yonkers men in the SUV said they plan to sue. I believe she drank and smoked pot with her husband on weekends and camping trips. Absolutely not with Pot on board. That makes it even more tragic.. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Duane H. Schuler St. Nazianz - Duane H. Schuler, age 67, a St. Nazianz resident, passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at Holy Family Medical. It strips away Schuler's perfect veneer. Daniel Schuler has maintained a round-the-clock vigil at Bryans bedside since the crash. Diane killed eight people that day including herself, her two-year-old daughter and her three nieces, all under the age of ten. Judging from Daniel Schulers recent pictures and the one (attached here) where hes walking and talking with a lawyer, he seems like a guy whos protecting himself from lawsuits. I would recommend it though because some of the smaller details in Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! It might have been that she didnt even smoke pot that day. There has been much speculation that Diane planned to kill herself and the children that day. We would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with someone who might jeopardize their safety. However, there were several incidents where I would be functioning altogether normally, or what I considered normal for me at that time, and out-of-the-blue I would become totally disoriented and start doing things that made no sense at all. After all this, she enters an exit the wrong way and drives for almost two miles narrowly missing countless other vehicles until that terrible final collision. And investigators were not advised by Barbara when Schuler would be made available for an interview. The Long Island mom driving the wrong-way minivan in the Taconic State Parkway tragedy called her brother two hours before the crash to say she was sick and disoriented, cops said Monday. What you may not know is that this version of the story comes from the perspective of the Bastardis - the oft forgotten family who suffered their own tragedy that day. The Evidence That Diane Schuler May Have Experienced Auto Brewery Syndrome. Eight people were killed in the fatal accident. Schulers wife Diane was drunk and high on marijuana when she drove the wrong way for almost two miles on a highway before smashing head-on into an SUV, killing herself and seven others, a prosecutor said. based on information from your browser. Born September 14, 1944 in Rockville Centre, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Eileen (Robinson) McKeough of Floral Park and Stony Creek. The birth of Kasey Rose came after Jackie had been pushed to the brink of taking her own life due to the grief from the loss of their daughters, Emma, 8; Alyson . Caption on the attached picture is: Daniel Schuler, left, arrives at the offices of attorney Dominic Barbara, right, in Garden City, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. Being from the UK I only recently heard about the tragedy that this book is written about. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Schuler's neighbor and friend, Lisa Acosta, 42, said the family likes the outdoors and went camping almost every weekend in upstate Monticello. I've never written this long of a review but I had to get this off my chest. "These are three kids that are saints and angels. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. ", "Too young, and too soon," the Rev. How does a person go from being like a sister to me -- adored by my girls and cherished by my husband -- to being the one who ruined our lives? Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Bursztajn, a clinical psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School who was interviewed for the film, said when trauma doesn't heal, it can have catastrophic consequences. After studying and watching and thinking that the most simple answer is likely the real answer I posit this. But many are too embarrassed to admit psychic pain. I especially remember when he told me that my brother will "alwaysbe [my] brother" and that I should always be there for him--and that my brother would always be there for me. . First breach in picture of Schuler as untroubled, Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 06, 2009 02:59 PM |, Reflections humorous and serious on the British character . Hes suicidal, Dominic Barbara said of Schuler. Please reset your password. Daniel Schuler has maintained a round-the-clock vigil at Bryans bedside since the crash. Most experts ruled out suicide. Its a fat soluble drug and can remain in a person's fat cells for weeks. So she could've smoked the night before or the week before and been sober the morning she drove home and she would still test positive. Eileen leaves behind three sons, Warren, John and David; two brothers, Joseph and Michael; her sister, Kathleen Doerrie; and grandchildren, Byran Schuler, and Melanie, Kasey, and Willa Hance. On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York. Amazon has encountered an error. Well of course hes going to say that. In keeping the promise that I made to my father, I hope this book can in some way speak for my brother, Guy, and my father. Around 9:30 a.m. Diane, along with her 5-year-old son Bryan, her 2-year-old daughter Erin, and her three nieces (8-year-old Emma, Emma, 7-year-old Alyson, and 5-year-old Kate) left the camp. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig).. The truth that Daniel Schuler, Dianne's husband, has tried so hard to hide from the world and probably from himself is coming out. "That is not consistent with who Diane was," Bursztajn said. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. You really get a sense of the family's grief, particularly the son who lost his father and brother. He is of course shocked, horrified, and distraught upon the news and things go downhill from there. Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013. Diane Schuler was able to do so. This is due to various witness reports such as: s.19: "The vehicle was staying perfectly in the lane". Rather it is, one suspects much like the Bastardis themselves, straightforward, plain-speaking and matter of fact. One story I read said that they had been going to this campground every summer weekend for the last three years, so the trip back home, while not short, was routine. "Someone may be struggling and not feel they can tell the people they love until they are pushed to the point," Bernstein. I always drank vodka at that time of day because it was much less detectable to those around me. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. But toxicology reports at the time revealed a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 -- the equivalent of 10 drinks -- and considerable levels of THC from smoking marijuana. Leading up to the crash, it appeared as though Schuler was behaving normally. Diane Schuler was a 36-year-old Long Island woman who tragically killed herself and seven others in a fiery wrong-way car crash on the Taconic State Parkway in New York in 2009. . "People have an idea in their heads that in order for someone to engage in bizarre behavior or take a risk or harm people, or attempt suicide, or, God forbid, even what's going on in Norway, it means they are weird or strange, and people distance themselves.". I found the book impossible to put down, and although at present there does not seem to be an end to the story, I still found it very interesting and of course extremely sad. said "People suffer in silence.". Sources have come forward to say that Diane was unhappy in her marriage, felt trapped, and was aware her husband was having an affair (the babysitter at the press conference who later moved in)? News of Schulers alcohol and drug abuse is a crushing blow, said her family, including her brother, Warren Hance, and his wife, Jackie, whose three young daughters died in the crash. Sorry! You really get a sense of the family's grief, particularly the son who lost his father and brother. A caller to WABC/Channel 7 said the campground at Hunters Lake where Schuler and her family regularly stayed is a known boozing area, where wild parties are the norm. Five young children were in the car as well: her son, her daughter and three nieces. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240061915/diane-e-schuler. HAWTHORNEAs the family of Diane Schuler is now claiming that autopsy results on her body are not accurate and that an underlying medical condition may have caused her to have the crash that killed eight people including herself, Westchester County Medical Examiner Dr. Millard Hyland said he stands by those findings. On July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler, 36, was driving the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York when her minivan slammed into an SUV, killing Diane, her young daughter, three nieces, and three passengers in the other vehicle.