Please try again. Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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. 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. Try again later. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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." This book is not only about the horrific acts of Diane Schuler and the suffering that she has caused so many people but also about the added pain caused by those who fabricated stories about her actions that day. The crash made headline news for days when it was later revealed that Dianne Schuler had a blood alcohol content of 0.19 as well as evidence of marijuana. Schuler worked for Cablevision as director of credit and collections; the company put out a memo to employees on Monday mourning her loss. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? "Joan Schuler said that the deceased smoked marijuana virtually every single day of her life," said Irving Anolik, a lawyer for the family of Michael Bastardi and his son Guy, both of whom died when Diane Schuler . 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. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. For the last couple of months, she didnt appear to be a happy woman.. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Failed to delete memorial. He said he has yet to speak to Warren and Jackie Hance, who were not at the service, and is praying for the right thing to say. John O'Farrell later told the Daily News. A 1.75-liter bottle of Absolut was found in Schulers 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. This sounds to me like a classic case of a closet alcoholic. The collision occurred after the troubled West Babylon resident drove south for 1.7 miles in the northbound lanes of the Taconic Parkway. There is no greater pain than having lost my father and brother from the senseless act of a drunk driver. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I was raised in an Italian-American family. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Try again later. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Thanks for your help! Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2013. I would lose coherence in my speech, become physically unstable and mentally unbalanced. 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. She takes Ambien and Vicodin. 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 dearFriend. She couldn't see" and, "I flew out of the car like superman. Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland, Rebecca Rosenberg, Kieran Crowley, Perry Chiaramonte and Larry Celona. "She never talked about it, almost like she wasn't even there.". "It's a puzzle," Bursztajn added. Hance's sister-in-law Diane Schuler drove the wrong way on New York's Taconic State Parkway and crashed . 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. Her 5-year-old son, Brian Schuler, was the only one who survived the crash. Daniel Schuler and Barbara publicly attributed Diane Schuler's erratic driving to a medical issue, such as a stroke. Diane Schuler calls Jackie Hance. 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, This story has been shared 121,242 times. This is a carousel with slides. 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. She was high on marijuana and had the equivalent of 10 shots of booze in her stomach. 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 . If the driver were alive today the charges would have been second-degree murder, Anolik said. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Please try again. Days later came the headlines; "Wrong Way Crash Mom Drunk and High!". This is the story of the infamous Taconic Parkway crash but if you're reading this review then you already knew that. My brother was always there for me. The Diane Schuler Case. Had she sought help, the tragedy might have been averted. It might have been that she didnt even smoke pot that day. Most likely. After Schuler left the campground, she was next seen at a McDonalds 11 miles away in Liberty, where witnesses also said she did not seem intoxicated, according to State Police Lt. Domenick Chiumento. Life Story Memory Board Duane H. Schuler Diane Schuler was able to do so. Psychiatrist Bursztajn said Schuler was the worst kind of perfectionist who learned to self medicate. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations in Eileens name to The Hance Family Foundation P.O. As panicked motorists swerved out of her way, she continued for almost two miles. 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? Learn more about merges. 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. 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. Garbus attempts to piece together the psychological puzzle of Schuler's state of mind before the 2009 accident, one of the worst in state history. My father taught me how important family is. Not someone who was bad. "Wrong way Mom Drunk and High". Ada Hart. GREAT NEWS! Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? And investigators were not advised by Barbara when Schuler would be made available for an interview. Diane Schuler, her daughter Erin, and her three nieces also died in the crash On July 26, 2009 Diane Schuler killed herself and seven others when she drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway. "Something was wrong. s.24: "She stated that the driver was not swerving". 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. Comment. Scott also said Schuler appeared sober the morning she drove away with the kids and was not known to have boozed at the site. Indeed, they said, she hardly drank. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "She compensated in the present for what she lost in the past. Others in her life do not report seeing her drink alcohol to excess. Her minivan collided with an SUV, resulting in the deaths of Schuler, her daughter, her three nieces, and three passengers in the other car. I would drive 20 miles to work most days with a blood alcohol level similar to that found in Mrs. Schulers body. "She was a phenomenal mom, she never let the kids out of her sight," he said. The Bastardi family are right in wanting justice. I believe there is a strong fragrance of criminality. Learn more about managing a memorial . [LA replies: They did have two cars up there, and apparently his additional fishing trip was already planned. "People said she seemed so normal," Bernstein said. The whole affair just wreaks of selfish parenting, lies, substance abuse, dirty money, cover ups and vitriol. . I also understand their anger and desire to find answers. There was an error deleting this problem. The truth that Daniel Schuler, Dianne's husband, has tried so hard to hide from the world and probably from himself is coming out. A heartwrenching account of a son's search for answers into the accident that took the lives of his father and brother along with six others. "You can't imagine how complex that question is. We need to find out what her husband, brother, and other family members know, he added. 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. Police said at least six separate witnesses called 911 to report a van driving the wrong way. "She was not someone who was mean. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. I had built up a tolerance to a rather high blood alcohol content and without it, I was much less functional. While many people questioned why the Bastardi's felt so much anger towards the other victims, the Hance's, after reading the book I understand why. The Long Island mother was driving home from a camping trip when she got on the Taconic and drove nearly two miles in the wrong direction before plowing head-on into an SUV. This account has been disabled. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Today marks the two year anniversary of the tragedy, and now, an HBO documentary, "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane," asks if Diane Schuler's obsessive perfectionism may have contributed to the crash. Several drivers flashed their lights and honked to get Schuler's attention. The writing is very basic but gets the point across. "It's a kind of fundamental perfectionism, so that life becomes unbearable in some ways," forensic psychiatrist Dr. Harold Bursztajn told ABCNews.com. Add to your scrapbook. On 2nd anniversary of horrific crash, film explores mindset of Diane Schuler. 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 . I always drank vodka at that time of day because it was much less detectable to those around me. She is an active volunteer in the Catholic Schools her children attend, is a board member of the Town Youth Lacrosse Program, and is a dedicated Children's Rights Advocate.Jeanne and Michael live in upstate New York with their children. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Someone had to know, but that someone chose to say nothing, and now all these people are dead.. 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. I truely feel for their loss and pain. Resend Activation Email. No criminal charges are expected since Schuler died in the crash. Verify and try again. The accident made national news. But who knows what really happens behind closed doors?. 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. July 13, 2011 12:40 pm. "She lost touch with reality," he speculated. "She seemed to be good at whatever she attempted," her friend, Sue Troccoli, said. Most experts ruled out suicide. Ladies Home JournalA page from the . As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Failed to report flower. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Although her three brothers reconciled with their mother, Schuler refused, according to her husband. The headlines that rocked the world now a gripping new book with all the details that kept the public intrigued. There is no greater pain than having lost my father and brother from the senseless act of a drunk driver. She is known as the main subject of the Taconic State Parkway crash back in 2009. It was written by the wife of the son and brother of one of the deceased males but is done so in third person so that was a strange literary choice. There is a problem with your email/password. The film, which will air every Monday night until Aug. 15., portrays the 36-year-old "super mom" as a control freak haunted by a dark past: Her mother abandoned Schuler when she was 9. 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. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. State Police also said Thursday that investigators went to Long Island for a pre-arranged interview with Schulers husband, Daniel; however, when they arrived they were not granted the interview and his attorney, Dominick Barbara could offer no useful information, the police said. There are so many bizzare theories and conjecture that seem to have been fabricated from midair by Daniel's lawyer and his felonious PI. Family members linked to this person will appear here. She was high on marijuana and had the equivalent of 10 shots of booze in her stomach. Schuler, her daughter . Being from the UK I only recently heard about the tragedy that this book is written about. Neither is it objective or balanced and why should it be? 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. Friends and family held a prayer service on Monday night at Our Lady of Victory church in Floral Park, L.I., where sobbing parishioners passed around tissue boxes and leaned on each other for support. But was that true? Oops, something didn't work. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Please reset your password. Please share a memory of Eileen to include in a keepsake book for family and friends. Please enter your email and password to sign in. "All of us are very, very sad for the loss of the little girls, and our hearts go out to the family," she said. Hes facing possible lawsuits for the deaths of several people. She did not do anything that will make her lose control when driving. Anne Cuozzo, 37, who has lived across the street from the Schulers for seven years, said, We never saw [Diane] drunk. Officials tell New York press that Diane Schuler's blood alcohol was .19, nearly twice the legal limit.. Robert Guzzo, whose wife lost relatives in the crash, tells press today: Diane Schuler's husband did not buy any of these police reports. 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. I know mine would help. The 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash was a traffic collision that occurred shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2009, on the Taconic State Parkway in the town of Mount Pleasant, near the village of Briarcliff Manor, New York, United States. Her van was later spotted by several motorists driving erratically along Route 17 and I-87. He also alleges in his lawsuit that the Chevy Trailblazer the family had borrowed from his brother-in-law Warren Hance, was faulty. Drunkenness was evident: a blood alcohol content of 0.19 with 6 grams . 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 that her last name be withheld. Three men in the SUV she hit - Guy Bastardi, 49, Michael Bastardi, 81 . 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 . Meanwhile, her husband, Daniel Schuler, was in another vehicle. I read Jackie Hance's beautifully written memoire of her heartbreaking and unimaginable loss of her three little girls before I read this. I would especially like to know why no one has explored the Ambien angle. In the smoldering vehicle and twisted metal scattered along the highway, lay the bodies of eight people. 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. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig).. 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. What went wrong with Aunt Diane? It's too bad no one has written a detailed account of this accident which to this day remains somewhat of a mystery as to how and why it happened. Four hours later, she sped down the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County driving in the wrong direction. 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 . They are two of the greatest people the world will ever have known. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. I've never written this long of a review but I had to get this off my chest. There were eight fatalities including the woman driving the van, her three young nieces, her tiny daughter and the men. A 1.75-liter bottle of Absolut was found in Schulers 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. A New York mother who lost all three of her children in a horrific wrong-way drunk . 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)? We would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with someone who might jeopardize their safety. Failed to remove flower. There was a problem getting your location. They also jump to many conclusions that can't be proved as long as Daniel Schuler keeps lying and changing his story. 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 . Emma was in a . "The problem is, it doesn't work for very long," Bursztajn said. Friends said she smoked marijuana at night to help her sleep but that Schuler showed no signs of alcoholism. Daniel Schulers lawyer insisted to Fox 5 that his clients wife had not been a heavy drinker or drug user and that their were no problems in the marriage. "We are awaiting autopsy reports and toxicology reports.". In the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, 74-year-old Dan Longo, 81-year-old Michael Bastardi, and his 49-year-old son Guy were killed instantly. I think it does however give an insight into the less publicized victims of the tragedy; Guy and Michael Bastardi Sr. I highly recommend reading if you're interested in this case, it gives some amazing insight into the effects the accident had on the surviving family members. However justice died with Diane. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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. . For several years before I got sober, I would awaken to three or four stiff (double alcohol at minimum) drinks before getting showered and dressed for work. "Daniel Schuler, whose wife, Diane Schuler, killed herself and seven others in a wrong-way crash on the Taconic State Parkway is suing the state and his brother-in-law, whose three daughters were victims. Diane's medical records chronicle a woman with pain issues and insomnia. Anyone with her blood alcohol content as well as her THC results, a whopping 113 vs a typical 2-5 is no stranger to substance abuse. Daniel Schulers lawyer insisted to Fox 5 that his clients wife had not been a heavy drinker or drug user and that their were no problems in the marriage. The rabid defense of a woman who chose to drive drunk and high with five little ones in her car, her shady husband who's trying to cover his own ass and make a little money on the side, Diane's brother Warren who likely knew she was stoned out of her mind and thought he'd save her from a DUI. Also, I havent seen any statement by Daniel lSchuler saying he was driving back home to Long Island at the same time that his wife was.]. He tells his aunt repeatedly, "Mommy's head hurt. The collision occurred after the troubled West Babylon resident drove south for 1.7 miles in the northbound lanes of the Taconic Parkway. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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. The Evidence That Diane Schuler May Have Experienced Auto Brewery Syndrome. Bruno Dekrem. This book is odd for a few reasons. But owner Ann Scott insisted that such revelers are immediately thrown off the premises. Floral Park, Nassau County, New York, USA, Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, New York, USA. We have set your language to 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. One little boy (her son) survived with life altering injuries. Schuler was responsi. 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. Anne Cuozzo, 37, who has lived across the street from the Schulers for seven years, said, We never saw [Diane] drunk. 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. If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond. I bought this book to see the Bastardi family's side of things. 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. But owner Ann Scott insisted that such revelers are immediately thrown off the premises. Her five-year-old son Brian survived and is hospitalized. 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. based on information from your browser. Anyone with a hangover and red weed eyes would understand this behaviour. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. What I found was a book that created conflicting emotions for me. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. . This book deals with the Bastardi family. This story has been shared 170,718 times. Thanks for contacting us. Her van was later spotted by several motorists driving erratically along Route 17 and I-87. I read the other book "I'll See You Again" that focuses on the Hance family and I watched the HBO documentary.