As enlightened as we think we are as a society, we're not. Diane had been solely in charge of every aspect of their lives for 13 years, and it must have been a bewildering task taking up those reins and figuring out the household alone. Daniel seems to know very little about his wifes life. -Daniels clueless approach to Dianes health He reported that he spoke to one of his daughters, who said that her aunt was having trouble seeing and speaking clearly. The Today Show went so far as to have a Diane Schuler near look alike (in my estimation) on the air this morning, confessing her secret alcohol abuse: She would drink during the day, and come night fall when her husband got home, drink wine with him and he just thought it was her first drink of the day. When did you first hear about this case? -Discovered that weekend Daniel was having an affair. Diane, her daughter and her three nieces all died in the crash. -The inequitable dynamics of the household division Eventually, she collided with an SUV, killing the four children she had in the car with her, the three adults in the other car, and herself. Malcolm Roberts Psychic Medium. At 11am, Diane and her party were back on the road, driving along Interstate 87. Of Schuler, the five kids, and the three men in the other vehicle, only Schulers son survived. This is the most rude company and p. Malcolm Roberts Psychic Medium. She may have suffered from debilitating pain caused by an abscessed tooth but can a toothache cause blackouts? After the incident, witnesses reported seeing a red minivan driving aggressively shortly after 11am, tailgating cars, flashing its lights and straddling the lanes. -Daniels early arrival at the campground Diane Schuler abused alcohol and marijuana to get the courage to go through with a murder-suicide. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Dianes phone, as it was never found with the wreckage, however it was later located on the side of the road, giving the impression that Diane threw the phone out of the window after speaking to her brother. Until suddenly they didnt, and we cant ever quite know why. My own sister who passed away? There has been much speculation that Diane planned to kill herself and the children that day. It also doesnt make for light holiday fare. Witnesses who called 911 reported she was honking her horn, tailgating and flashing her headlights -- was that a cry for help or rage? I would speculate that rather than being a statement of disliking or lacking investment in his family life, it was the words of a man who was frustrated by the toll Dianes final actions had on their lives. She was depressed and angry and, deep down, had wanted to do this for a long time. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Those reports of her demeanour are conflicting, for example: S.21: stated that as the vehicle passed her she noticed that the female driver had a panic look on her face and both hands on the steering wheel., s.36: When [witness] looked at the driver, she appeared as though nothing was wrong and just kept driving.. Laura Lewis is a true crime enthusiast and a blogger. 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. Perhaps all those definitions of her are true. And I don't. I cannot find any credible evidence, outside of speculation and interpretations of various statements given by witnesses who saw Diane in her last minutes alive, to suggest that Diane was prone, capable or susceptible to commit such an act. Schuler had entered the highway on an exit rampway and drove two miles in the wrong lane. Ill tell you yes, she probably was drinking 100 percent. She possibly feels that the Schuler family is all she has and admires them for their seemingly perfect middle-class life. Eight people lost their lives that day, including Diane herself. Once Delia's husband and teen age children realize she's gone, they can barely give her vital statistics to the police - arguing over the color of her eyes, her height, her weight. And still, they say it makes no sense. An exploration of the mystery surrounding the tragic 2009 wrong-way crash that killed a mother and seven others on NY's Taconic Parkway. "She didn't just wake up one morning with a drug problem and capable of drinking that much alcohol.". The couple's three daughters - Emma, 9, Alison, 7, and Kate Hance, 5 - were killed in the July 26 crash.Schuler was also killed, along with her 2-year-old daughter Erin. Box Sloan Bella P.O. This meant that during the hours of 11am, when she left the rest stop, and 1:30pm, Diane consumed the equivalent of 10 drinks and smoked marijuana. Dianes family continue to reject the toxicology reports, and fight to clear her name. "We would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with somebody who might jeopardize their safety.". My gut tells me that Diane Schuler was overwhelmed, sickened and ultimately strangled by demons so powerful they swallowed her, leaving her in madness, perhaps even unaware that her children and three nieces were the unwitting victims of the demons as well. People who knew her reported her to be a devoted mother and wife, and a credit to her job. She seemed to enjoy the responsibilities she shouldered, and actively sought them out. The Chevrolet ricocheted on impact and struck another vehicle. Three men in the SUV she hit - Guy Bastardi, 49, Michael Bastardi, 81, and Daniel Longo, 74 - died. Check out my podcast! Having balanced the evidence, I find it highly implausible that Diane committed filicide-suicide. She was driving at around 85 miles per hour, along the wrong side of the Parkway, for 1.7 miles. Yell.com Yell Business. On 26th July, 2009, Diane left the camping ground at 9:30am with the five children, driving a red Ford Windstar. Subscribe & Hit That Bell So You Don't Miss A Video! The end of the exit ramp was clearly marked as one way, and no exit, however Diane continued driving. But if you have not seen it, know two things: it is available on HBO on demand, and it is essential viewing. Eight people were killed when a minivan being driven by 36-year-old Diane Schuler traveled 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in the wrong direction on the parkway and collided head-on with an oncoming SUV. Author: Jimmy's Girl, The Puzzle Bark Tree, Drifting, The Windmill. There are times, however, when my gut screams out - and I will say what my gut feels. Whether born out of alcohol or madness, it was patently irrational. Police revealed Tuesday that Schuler, 36, was wasted on booze and marijuana as she drove from a Sullivan County campsite to her Long Island home. In 2009, on a sunny Sunday just outside New York, Diane Schuler was travelling down the Taconic State Parkway with her son, her daughter and her three nieces. Part of HuffPost Wellness. A devoted wife and mother. (1,682) 6.7 1 h 40 min 2011 18+. There was no time for him to process the magnitude of that loss before it was announced that the deaths were due to Dianes intoxication. Didnt know her medical appointments, her medical conditions, or which medications she had been taking in the past. Her depression seemed to increase with the birth of each child and was profound after the fourth child's birth. They contend she wasn't a drinker. She may have a deep sense of obligation to the family, as she indicated that her own family has many problems, you tell me my sister does it? People will say very out of character things when in the midst of grief. I spoiled my Danny and she spoiled him. Such questions niggle like those of Arnold and Jesse Friedmans guilt, of Arnold and Elaines difficult marriage, of the Friedmans family history of mental illness, disappointment, and unhappiness. Ethically and morally, I can't. Anolik spoke to reporters after a morning meeting with the Westchester County district attorney. Unfortunately, mental illness still carries a stigma. https://bit.ly/2IJL4EXWant More True Crime? A witness at the camping ground who had met Diane several times before stated that she saw her leave, and that she looked to be sober and acting completely normal. https://bit.ly/2J4kzJEMy Adult Colorin. The press often drives the story. Theres Something Wrong with Aunt Diane becomes, through the ultimate opaqueness of those tragic events, something even darker a film about the very tenuousness of what we call evidence, of what we call personality, of what we call knowing somebody. (DelMundo for News). Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, 'Mrs. Amid questions about whether Schuler's relatives knew she was intoxicated, her husband, Daniel Schuler, hired prominent Long Island lawyer Dominic Barbara. View map. The admit she smoked a little pot now and then. Whilst Id agree Jay is more invested than even Daniel at this juncture, I dont suspect its due to malicious intent, attention seeking, or personality disorder. Over the course of the . Sort by relevance. Police have now reported that Diane was pulled in at a rest stop when she made this call. If only the dead could speak. Toxicology tests conducted by the medical examiner revealed that Schuler was heavily intoxicated with both alcohol and marijuana at the time of the crash. This involvement has led many people to accuse Jay of being narcissistic, overbearing, and overly invested. I would counter that Jays investment in Daniel and Bryans life is due to several factors. Well.judging by the rave reviews . Anji Wylde. The crash was the worst fatal motor vehicle accident to occur in Westchester County since July 22, 1934, when a bus accident in Ossining claimed twenty lives.The ensuing investigation into the crash's cause received nationwide attention. Directors. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. He did not take questions. She was apparently content even under the utmost duress, though, can an otherwise happy person drive into oncoming traffic with five kids on board? Diane Schuler's brother said Wednesday he had no idea she was high and drunk when she crashed on the Taconic State Parkway, killing eight. But why take a tragedy now and spin it into yet another "profile" that will give the media fodder for voyeuristic news until this story fades back into the landscape? Anne Tyler describes this condition with perfection in Ladder of Years as Delia Grinstead vanishes one day as the family takes their annual beach vacation. Police revealed Tuesday that Schuler,. She thought she was a "bad mother." Both films call to mind my every moment of denial, misunderstanding, inattention, idiocy, worry, pain; both suggest, frighteningly, that whatever faith we have in the power of knowing people or piecing together evidence is at best unstable, at worst a complete sham. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Sadly, it seems as though well never really know why Diane drove the wrong way down the interstate, without realising it, for almost two miles. There is no reason or grounds to suspect Jay and Daniel were involved together outside of a familial relationship. The only good things to come out of this terrible accident was a heightened awareness of the dangers of a hidden addiction, and a foundation set up by the Hences, which supports young girls to realise their full potential. Or could it have been a medical condition which caused her to crash? They say what people frequently say when interviewed after a tragedy, "She was a lovely woman. I have often contended that mothers can be an invisible lot. Clearly, they didn't know all of her. What is the reason her family and our society eschews mental illness as an explanation? When the body goes through a massive trauma such as Diane did in the car accident, the body cells release a high amount of potassium. (LogOut/ Dianes son, Bryan, survived the crash with a severe head trauma and broken bones, and was left recuperating in the hospital for three months. It should also be noted that this statement was relayed by Jay Schuler, and we have no idea of the context or the situation it was said within. The Hances indicated in the statement that they will cooperate with police, a day after cops complained the family wasn't talking. After just under two miles, Dianes Ford Windstar collided head on with a Chevrolet TrailBlazer at 85 mph. She chose to be very active within her workplace by assigning herself in charge of colleagues celebratory events. Stephen Spagnuolo, uncle of the girls who perished at the Taconic crash, speaks at a news conference Wednesday. At 11:37, Diane called her brother, Warren Hance, the father of Dianes three nieces travelling with her, telling him they were stuck in traffic. Her five-year-old son Brian survived and is hospitalized. Daniel lost a daughter and a wife that day. "Amidst all the uncertainty and speculation as to how and why this accident occurred, this is the absolute last thing that we ever would have expected. Another theory was that Diane Schuler typically wasn't alcoholic, but she had been self-medicating due to an abscess in her mouth. Diane Schuler, 30 who died in the wrong-way crash on the Taconic Parkway recently "seemed under pressure, like work and family were getting to her," said the pal, Sheila, who asked . Is it possible that Diane Schuler wasn't hiding a drinking problem, but hiding a problem that became so painful she ended it all, able to carry through her only way out of the pain by blinding herself with pot and alcohol? This isn't news. The three passengers of the TrailBlazer also died, bringing the total to eight. Her husband, Daniel Schuler, has consistently denied that she used drugs or alcohol \"excessively\" and has made multiple national media appearances to defend his late wife and call for further investigation into other possible medical causes for her erratic driving. It is worth noting that the witness statements of Dianes final moments were relayed from the memories of people who saw her for a split second as she was hurtling 70-80MPH towards them. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Her five-year-old son Brian survived and is hospitalized. Diane then spoke to her brother telling him she felt disoriented and couldnt see clearly. There has been much speculation that Diane planned to kill herself and the children that day. "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 our family," Warren Hance and his wife, Jackie, said in a statement. Sure, there are closeted drinkers, pot smokers, cocaine users, pill poppers, and the maritally unfaithful out there. Within the next minute, four motorists called 911 stating that a car was driving the wrong way down the parkway. No criminal charges are expected since Schuler died in the crash. Diane Schuler and the Taconic State Parkway Crash. The purpose of coaching is to take the client forward by helping them to establish self-awareness thereby confronting the demons and gremlins that are holding them back, preventing them from living better and more satisfying lives.