Stephen Spagnuolo, uncle of the girls who perished at the Taconic crash, speaks at a news conference Wednesday. Diane Schuler, a successful account executive and the mother of two of the children in the car, sped up the Taconic Parkway in the wrong direction for almost two miles before crashing into an oncoming SUV. 7 innocent people lost their lives due to one person's decision to drive while drunk n stoned. Witnesses pushed the van upright and pulled Diane and the children from the van. Immediately after the accident, people involved begin to act very oddly. She had etoh and weed in her system. So she calls her brother again, says shes not feeling well and cant see and will wait for him. The camping ground owner says about Diane looking normal before leaving. Just after noon, Diane received a call from her sister-in-law, Jackie, mother of 3 of the girls in the van. Schuler, her daughter, and two of her nieces were declared dead at the scene. The Hances indicated in the statement that they will cooperate with police, a day after cops complained the family wasn't talking. Diane Schuler and Emma, Hance's daughter, spoke with him. The three men in the Trailblazer: 81-year-old Michael Bastardi, his 49-year-old son Guy, and their friend, 74-year-old Dan Longo were also declared dead at the scene. Diane Schuler was diagnosed with gestational diabetes after giving birth and had an abscessed tooth for nearly two months. 147 First Avenue East The end of this exit ramp was marked with Do Not Enter and One Way signs. By JOHN VALENTI john.valenti@newsday.com July 25, 2011. (DelMundo for News). His 36-year-old sister Diane Schuler's number appeared on the caller ID, but when he answered, his own young daughter was on the line. Some witnesses say that they did encounter a broken vodka bottle near the drivers seat. So do we.. Let us see what happens to Diane Schuler and the girls when they encounter an accident that cost their lives. When you have absolutely everything taken away from you and I mean everything when someone hands you something, it is everything, Warren said. July 26, 2011 / 8:36 PM The police receive a report about 11 fatalities at the scene. The Bastardi family would file a lawsuit against Daniel Schuler and Warren Hance seeking unspecified damages for wanton, willful, and reckless conduct. Her husband and nieces were having a great time on the trip. I Cant Believe Its NonFiction and www.icantbelieveitsnonfiction.com, 2017-2019. Diane Schuler had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 and 6 grams of alcohol in her stomach that had not yet metabolized, according to the report. NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- On July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler, driving her family home to Long Island after a weekend camping trip, went the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and crashed into an SUV. The accident is said to be the worst in Westchester in over 75 years. Until she showed signs of intoxication after being denied alcohol, a 13-year-old girl with ABS was thought to have adolescent behavior disorder. 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 . This book could have been an article. The investigator Tom Ruskin, suddenly dropping outvery strange and suspicious. Three men in the SUV she hit - Guy Bastardi, 49, Michael Bastardi, 81, and Daniel Longo, 74 - died. There is little data on the number of confirmed auto-brewery syndrome cases, but 58 cases have been documented worldwide. Maybe if he knows what happened that morning, if they argued or anything, that would be the truth. Moreover, in the investigation, they also find all the children did sit in the back of the van. Her husband follows her in another truck with their dog. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. They remember Dianes van because she was tailgating other cars, honking her horn and driving aggressively. He's gotta accept this. I'm not sure if the Civil Suit has settled its dust, but I'm interested to see what becomes of all of this - it certainly would be shocking to know for certainty that this accident could have been prevented. "I don't understand what it is about this man. The pain wasnt going away. At approximately 1:35pm, Schuler collided with a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer while driving the wrong way in the northbound passing lane. Wrong. People still remember Westchester County for its tragic automobile accident that cost 20 lives. Dianes daughter, Barbara, expressed concern that the family did not know what happened to Diane. Each of these lawsuits has been settled or dropped. A 1.75-liter bottle of Absolut was found in Schuler's wrecked Ford Windstar after the fiery July 26 smash-up, which killed her, her 2-year-old daughter, her three young nieces and three Yonkers men in the SUV she hit. Fracture plus head trauma he suffered as part of the injuries at the accident.. Chronic fatigue syndrome can lead to anxiety, depression, and low productivity in addition to health issues. Within 30 minutes of this phone call, the van was seen at a rest stop. These lives passed instantly when the crash happened. It is still a heart-piercing tragedy that makes everyone upset. Bastardi said Schuler's family continues to make excuses for her behavior. So, since shes not going to drive anymore, she tries another pain remedy. The fact that she had killed 8 people seemed incidental . Approximately 15 minutes later, Diane pulled into a gas station and asked the clerk for pain medicine. Daniel and the family dog got into his truck and the group headed home to West Babylon. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Diane and the children loaded up in a van belonging to her brother, Warren Hance, father to 3 of the girls in the van. They were required to include Hance in the suit as he was the owner of the van. This is a difficult book to rate. Schuler held a tearful news conference last week with Barbara, saying he never saw his wife drunk. The van was travelling 80 miles on the wrong way on that road. The Westchester County medical examiners office released a toxicology report on August 4 that showed that Schuler had a blood-alcohol content of 0.19%, with approximately six grams of alcohol in her stomach that had not yet been consumed. A good article for consideration: https://www.thefix.com/content/drinking-mom-syndrome?page=all. If you are married for over a decade, had two children, were legally known as Schuler including on your own . "I believe there is a strong fragrance of criminality. Completely haunted and obsessed by this. Diane and Daniels 5 year old son was the only passenger of the van to survive. The Hance girls were killed on their way home from a camping trip in upstate New York when their aunt drove a reckless 70 mph down the New York Thruway and into the northbound Taconic Parkway. Again, passersby reported that Diane looked as though she was throwing up. Hance said. Required fields are marked *. List of 9 Best iPhone Cleaner Apps For You. Its also known as Leandras Law.. At 9:30am on July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler loaded up her two children (ages five and two) along with her brother's, Warren Hance, three daughters (ages eight, seven, and five) into her brother's red 2003 Ford Windstar and left the Hunter Lake Campground to start the journey to West Babylon, New York. Schuler left an upstate campground shortly after 9 a.m. Schuler, 36, of West Babylon, was shuttling home her daughter Erin, 2, son Bryan, 5, and nieces Kate, 5, Alyson, 7, and Emma, 8, of Floral Park. That was just a half-hour before the fiery crash that killed Schuler and seven others. Schuler said he had no knowledge of his wife bringing pot to the campground, Ruskin said. I've read a lot of the theories on this story of what drove Diane Schuler to consume so much alcohol and smoke marijuana leading up to the crash. How will her brother Warren, whom shed called to tell she wasnt feeling well, ever stop blaming himself? We promise only to send you the most relevant news, contests, quizzes, and polls. Antibiotics, in addition to interfering with the guts natural microbiome, can cause yeast overgrowth. "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. Schuler, 36, was driving her brother's Ford minivan home to West Babylon, L.I., after a camping trip in upstate Sullivan County when she somehow entered the Taconic State Parkway on the wrong ramp. She called her brother, saying she was having trouble seeing. Four hours later, she sped down the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County driving in the wrong direction. The line was open nine more minutes, Ruskin said. Theres something wrong with Aunt Diane, she said. However, the lives lost in this crash remain a sorrowful incident for the family and the entire county. The claims by Tom Ruskin go beyond earlier State Police statements, which said that Schuler called her brother from a pulloff near the Tappan Zee Bridge about 1 p.m. July 26 to say she was sick. Diane and Erin were among the eight people killed in a fiery crash on Sunday, July 26, 2009, when Diane Schuler plowed into an SUV while driving the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in Westchester . 19 and had smoked marijuana as little as 15 minutes before the crash. A video summary of this weeks post can be found athttps://youtu.be/c_4JWTRRksI. Wearing seatbelts could have sustained any of the people in this crash. In this case, the investigators rule out homicide and say harsh driving is the reason for the crash. Her blood levels show alcohol which is double the amount for a driver. It appeared as though she was vomiting. This post examines the 2009 New York Taconic Parkway crash that killed 8 people, including Diane Schuler, the driver of a minivan that plowed for 2 miles in the wrong direction down the parkway. HBO released a documentary in 2011 called Theres Something Wrong with Aunt Diane. The documentary leans toward the sore tooth theory. However, Diane did not speak on the phone it was his own daughter Emma. She was drunk driving. ABS can affect any age group, though the majority of cases are found in people who have a genetic disposition to it. All information has been sealed by the court. Around 1pm, one of Hances daughters was able to use Schulers cell phone in order to call her father. "Someone had to know, but that someone chose to say nothing, and now all these people are dead. At least one camper at the campground has withdrawn a donation to a fund benefiting the family, the campground said. Your email address will not be published. All rights reserved. Another shocking piece of evidence is that they find drugs in her system. On their way, Diane takes out the children to McDonalds, fills up the gas and enjoys the road trip. He is of course shocked, horrified, and distraught upon the news and things go downhill from there. Some of the horrible tragedies in history still make the heart melt for everyone who hears it. 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. Thomas Ruskin, a private investigator for Daniel Schuler, said he doubts the woman the witness saw vomiting was Diane Schuler."Even if it was, it goes to verify what . Her body was severed at the waist and her legs were found several feet away from her torso. Bryan Schuler was the wreck's sole survivor and is recovering at a hospital. The phone call lasted less than 4 minutes and then they were disconnected. At 11:37 a.m., Schuler's niece Emma, 8, called her father, Warren Hance, Schuler's brother, to tell him they were running late. I think diane drank a bit but certainly not to get drunk. (LogOut/ Someone like this would need to self medicate. While I'm sure writing it was cathartic, every chapter repeats the same story. A co-owner for the campground said that when she left Diane Schuler appeared sober. Jackie Hance lived an inimaginable nightmare on July 26, 2009, when her three daughters, Emma, 8, Alyson, 7, and Katie, 5, were tragically killed by her sister-in-law Diane Schuler. Later, he amended his statement to say that Diane occasionally smoked pot to help her sleep and that she did drink that weekend, but not the day of or the day before the crash. He had known the Schulers for a long time and later said that everything seemed normal when they left. Your email address will not be published. According to the New York Post, Daniel Rother, Dianes husband, is suing the state and Warren Hance, Dianes brother, claiming that they were responsible for the crash that killed eight people. After the call, Diane got back on the road. So then what to do? In an unconscious state she realized they were going to know she was drunk and high and Diane was the perfect wife and mother and that was never going to happen. She drove in the . Although showing the alcohol in the bloodstream is still an issue, I just wonder if it was a multitude of things combined. Added Donato: "That poor little boy is the one who's going to suffer the most out of everyone. Though there was movement inside Schuler's house on Tuesday, no one came to the door when Guzman knocked. We are an organization that was created in 2009 after my three daughters, Emma, Alyson and Katie Hance, were killed in a car accident in New York. Warren Hance, Diane Schulers brother, lost his three daughters in the crash and says he is angry that his brother-in-law has denied Diane was drinking and smoking pot before the crash. Daniel Schuler, along with his attorney Dominic Barbara, initially denied that Diane did drugs or was drinking at the lake that weekend as they had the children with them. Those close to Diane claim she was the perfect image of a doting mother and aunt, a . Explained, Jon Hamm And Anna Osceola Are Engaged After Two Years of Dating, Paul Walker Crash: The Tragic Accident That Cost His Life, The Heartbreaking Story Of Harolyn Suzanne Nicholas: Dorothy Dandridges Mentally Disabled Daughter, Robin Williams Death: The Horrific Unknown Disease Took The Life Of This Star, Jacob Wetterling: 11-year-old Boys Remains Found 27 Years Later. On the way out, Diane said goodbye to a friend of the family who co-owned the campground. Ruskin said he has not asked Bryan what he remembers about the moments leading up to the crash. On a timeline you can see for yourself missing time, where was she and what was she doing? Tim Ruskin, an investigator hired by Daniel Schuler, found people who observed Diane carrying on an extended conversation while ordering food. The Trailblazer would then struck a 2002 Chevrolet Tracker. Additionally, those who have recently taken a course of antibiotics may also be at an increased risk for auto brewery syndrome. Especially, when having children on board Diane will not take the risk of taking shots or smoking marijuana. State Police had said that multiple calls were made from the phone but didn't say when they were made. Roseanne Guzzo lost her father, Guy Bastardi; and her brother, Michael, and family friend Daniel Longo on that horrible day. There is no definitive answer to this question as the medical community is still trying to understand all of the factors that may contribute to auto brewery syndrome. If youre a massive true crime stan, do sign upfor our newsletter. I have a feeling that she found out that Daniel and Jay were having an affair and she confronted him about it that weekend. It all sums up with the evidence and reports of witnesses that she was feeling dizzy due to alcohol. Diane Schuler, 36, a mother of two from Long Island, was driving at 70 mph in her Mercedes-Benz, drunk and high. She also tested positive for high levels of THC. She drank more. Further, a Mcdonalds employee says that Diane did stand in the Que for a long time. All was great for the PTA mom Diane Schuler and her family until they get into a serious accident. She responded Tuesday to the news Daniel Schuler's lawsuit. He claimed that Diane rarely drank and did not do drugs, stating that she hadnt had any alcohol on the camping trip because the children were present. Following the premiere of the HBO documentary. Ms. Schuler, of West Babylon, on Long Island, was killed at the scene, along with her 2-year-old daughter, Erin, and two of her nieces, Emma, 9, and Kate, 5. Many people rush to Diane Schulers Minivan when they see the crash. 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. He also sued Warren because he was the owner of the van Diane had been driving. Eight people died in the crash, including Schuler herself, her daughter, three nieces, and three men in another car. She had to control her environment % in order to feel calm. Diane Schuler, her daughter Erin, and her three nieces also died in the crash. After traveling for almost 2 miles in the wrong direction, the van collided, without slowing down, into an SUV. As there are children in the car with Dianne, the brother Hance got worried. Husband said, he never even wanted kids.there is more here. According to the Hance family, they were totally in the dark about Diane's (who caused the accident while impaired) substance abuse issues and had no idea that she was drunk and high while driving. Unfortunately car crash ofDiane Schulerdid happen that breaks the heart of the people. On July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler packed up the campsite at Hunter Lake in Parksville, New York where her family had spent the weekend. Jeanne Bastardi has written "The Taconic Tragedy A Son's Search for the Truth" based on the actual seven person homicide that took the lives of her husband's Father, Brother, and Friend. It is the families she tore apart that truly have to pay the price. 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