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. Her van was later spotted by several motorists driving erratically along Route 17 and I-87. Large pictures of the victims were at the altar. It strips away Schuler's perfect veneer. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Diane Schuler was able to do so. After studying and watching and thinking that the most simple answer is likely the real answer I posit this. Schuler, her daughter and three nieces, and the three passengers in the oncoming SUV were killed. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Hes suicidal, Dominic Barbara said of Schuler. 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. Witnesses said her driving was not erratic but rather she drove deliberately down the fast lane with determined eyes. If the driver were alive today the charges would have been second-degree murder, Anolik said. Well of course hes going to say that. Theres no way my husband would abandon me in order to go fishing or go home to conclude a family camping trip. Drunkenness was evident: a blood alcohol content of 0.19 with 6 grams . Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2013. 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. Diane Schuler was drunk claims sources to New York press today. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. 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 . It chronicles the Schuler family's absolute denial that Diane was drunk and high at the time of the crash." This is interesting to me. Police said at least six separate witnesses called 911 to report a van driving the wrong way. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. AbeBooks, an Amazon company, offers millions of new, used, and out-of-print books. Two elderly men and one of the men's middle aged son were killed while driving on an expressway on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Try again later. I pray that both the Bastardi and Hance families find the peace they are looking for. He said Diane Schuler took the five children in her car that day because everyone trusts her with kids She drives 40 miles an hour.. We've received your submission. Jackie Hance, Diane Schuler's sister-in-law and the mother of three of the children killed in the accident, published the novel "I'll See You Again" in 2013. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. The collision occurred after the troubled West Babylon resident drove south for 1.7 miles in the northbound lanes of the Taconic Parkway. On July 26, 2009 Diane Schuler killed herself and seven others when she drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway. Verify and try again. If he knew his wife was a heavy drinker or a functioning alcoholic, why did he let her drive a van full of kids? They were receptive to the State Police and very cooperative during the interviews, which continue. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Michael Bastardi Jr. On July 26, 2009 Diane Schuler packed up the campsite, piled five children into her minivan and headed for home on Long Island after a weekend of camping, a drive that should have taken two hours from upstate, NY. 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. It could have been any family that day, but it was my husband's and this is, actually produce conflicting documentation. There is a problem with your email/password. "People always ask how I feel about Diane," Hance told the magazine. "It's very tragic," the friend said. Ladies Home JournalA page from the . They are two of the greatest people the world will ever have known. 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. SCHULEROUR LOVE AND HEARTS ARE ALWAYS WITH YOULOVING WIFE AND MOTHERDIANE ENOV 13, 1972 - JULY 26, 2009DADDYS LITTLE GIRLBEAUTIFUL BABY SISTER ERIN MJUNE 8, 2007 JULY 26, 2009, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. "She was a phenomenal mom, she never let the kids out of her sight," he said. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Failed to delete memorial. 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. GREAT NEWS! Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). 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 unsettling story of a weekend camping trip gone awry and the drunk and high "wrong way mom" who drove four children to their deaths, also killing her and three others. 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. 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. 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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Torrington, CT and Stony Creek: Three men in the SUV she hit - Guy Bastardi, 49, Michael Bastardi, 81 . It could have been any family that day, but it was my husband's and this is his story. Diane was a type A control freak who had to have things her way and had a hard time relaxing. A case of deceipt, lies, and denials. He was in stable condition at Westchester Medical Center on Monday. Evidence that proves Diane Schuler did not take alcohol or drugs. 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. 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. Why wasnt he helping out? Look inside to read what others have shared. I was curious to learn the story of the other victims in this senseless and mostly unexplained "accident" on a beautiful New York summer Sunday afternoon. "You can't imagine how complex that question is. Had she sought help, the tragedy might have been averted. . 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. "The family needs your support. memorial page for Diane E. Hance Schuler (13 Nov 1972-26 Jul 2009), Find a Grave Memorial ID 240061915, citing Cemetery of the Holy Rood, Westbury . 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. Sorry! I disagree and found the book reveals the helplessness that her family feel at losing loved ones at the hand of a proven drunk and drugged driver, and their pain at not being able to get the answers they deserve. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, HENRICK KAROLISZYN, Edgar Sandoval and SAMUEL GOLDSMITH, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Psychiatrist Bursztajn said Schuler was the worst kind of perfectionist who learned to self medicate. 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. I would lose coherence in my speech, become physically unstable and mentally unbalanced. I am (and was) only 170 pounds. "That is not consistent with who Diane was," Bursztajn said. The anger about the foundation in the Hance girls honor. I was raised in an Italian-American family. #dianeschuler #somethingiswrongwithauntdiane Diane Schuler left a family campground with her daughter, son, and two nieces to head home. Friends and family tell filmmaker Filmmaker Liz Garbus that in every aspect of her life, Diane Schuler strived to be the best. . [LA replies: They did have two cars up there, and apparently his additional fishing trip was already planned. Just like everyone else, this is news to us They were very friendly. 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. 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. s.24: "She stated that the driver was not swerving". 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. He also alleges in his lawsuit that the Chevy Trailblazer the family had borrowed from his brother-in-law Warren Hance, was faulty. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Please use a different way to share. In an interview scheduled to air Friday, the mother of three girls who were killed in a fatal New York wrong-way crash in 2009, tells NBC . He alleges the highway was badly designed and inadequately sign-posted, which enabled his wife to drive the wrong way into traffic, according to the New York Post. Indeed, they said, she hardly drank. I read the other book "I'll See You Again" that focuses on the Hance family and I watched the HBO documentary. Failed to report flower. "Wrong way Mom Drunk and High". Neither is it objective or balanced and why should it be? "It's a puzzle," Bursztajn added. 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. A good look at the other family's side of the story. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240061915/diane-e-schuler. 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. She eventually crashed into an oncoming SUV . For the first time, filmmaker Garbus interviews eyewitnesses, first responders, investigators and medical and psychiatric experts and draws on surveillance footage, family photos, news clips and expert testimony to explore events surrounding the crash to see how things went so wrong. 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. "She seemed to be good at whatever she attempted," her friend, Sue Troccoli, said. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. Recommended. Second, her husband had two different versions of where he was going that day: fishing and back home to Long Island. I read the other book "I'll See You Again" that focuses on the Hance family and I watched the HBO documentary. The purse: In the documentary pause it at the photo of the Vodka bottle. She didnt just wake up one morning with a drug problem and capable of drinking that much alcohol. Anolik spoke to reporters after a morning meeting with the Westchester County district attorney. I have three daughters of my own, and if they all died at once in a wreck, I don't think I could even communicate with anyone about anything. 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. Daniel Schuler and Barbara publicly attributed Diane Schuler's erratic driving to a medical issue, such as a stroke. Just wishing it was not true does not change anything. Daniel Schuler, right, holds hands with sisters-in-law Jay Schuler, center, and Joyce Schuler, left, while surrounded by reporters during a press conference in Garden City, N.Y. Thursday, Aug. 6 . 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. . Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland, Rebecca Rosenberg, Kieran Crowley, Perry Chiaramonte and Larry Celona. Schuler had entered the highway on an exit rampway and drove two miles in the wrong lane. . 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. People who knew her reported her to be a devoted mother and wife, and a credit to her job. Others in her life do not report seeing her drink alcohol to excess. An eye opener for all. Diane Schuler, her daughter Erin, and her three nieces also died in the crash C.J. Minutes before the deadly crash, Hance's 8-year-old daughter, Emma, had called her mother to say, "Something's wrong with Aunt Diane.". Leading up to the crash, it appeared as though Schuler was behaving normally. 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. Diane's niece died in the hospital . These kids are in the valley of heaven.". The Hances were Diane Schulers family. 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. In the smoldering vehicle and twisted metal scattered along the highway, lay the bodies of eight people. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. I would just be a zombie!! Daniel Schuler has maintained a round-the-clock vigil at Bryans bedside since the crash. "She lost touch with reality," he speculated. Meanwhile, her husband, Daniel Schuler, was in another vehicle. 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. This is the story of the infamous Taconic Parkway crash but if you're reading this review then you already knew that. 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. 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. 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 . 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. I believe there is a strong fragrance of criminality. "Someone may be struggling and not feel they can tell the people they love until they are pushed to the point," Bernstein. Her five-year-old son Brian survived and is hospitalized. 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. "His wife was drunk and high at the time of the accident that killed seven innocent people. ", Another neighbor, Steve Shaughnessy, 34, called the accident "beyond terrible.". Its a fat soluble drug and can remain in a person's fat cells for weeks. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Her husband took the family dog in his pickup truck. "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.".