8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway

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SleuthyMama

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I didn't see a thread on this and it's been knawing at me since I read about it the other day. Maybe because I have traveled this road many times.

I just cannot for the life of me figure out how this woman did this and drove for ALMOST 2 MILES without realizing she was going the wrong way.

I pray for all of those who lost their lives and for the little boy who survived. This poor family is heartbroken.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...uler_told_brother_she_wasnt_feeling_well.html
 
What a horrible, horrible tragedy.

I'm speechless over the loss of these family members.

Prayers out to those grieving and suffering from this accident.
 
Yes, this story is just unimaginable. I cried while watching it on the news. So so sad.
 
This has been big news around here. I can't imagine what these families are going through. To lose all three of your daughters at once is just unimaginable and so is losing your wife and daughter instantaneously.

I wonder if they will do an autopsy on the mom to see if they can find the reason she felt sick and disoriented.
 
Wow, just wow. I wonder what made her disoriented and why on earth she kept driving.
 
This has been big news around here. I can't imagine what these families are going through. To lose all three of your daughters at once is just unimaginable and so is losing your wife and daughter instantaneously.

I wonder if they will do an autopsy on the mom to see if they can find the reason she felt sick and disoriented.

This is one of the first thoughts I had, though I am doubtful it could be done. It may depend on the condition of the driver's body though.

I think we can assume she felt better after that phone call because according to the article she drove 2 more hours before the accident happened. It sounds like she may have been having little strokes and then was hit suddenly by something big. I am NO medical expert though.
 
Wow, just wow. I wonder what made her disoriented and why on earth she kept driving.

She even called her brother and told him she was disorientated, he told her to pull over and he would come to pick them up.

She drove another two miles. I wonder what happened too.
 
I always think about the first responders in these situations too. I have a lot of respect for them. I could not deal with the gruesome injuries car accidents cause especially when there are children involved. I assume some cases like this one keep them up at night.
 
As I said in my opening post though, I can't fathom what was or wasn't going through her head as she drove those two miles in the wrong direction. Did she not hear/see the other drivers honking and waving at her? I know it's very easy to be distracted with children in the car but two miles is a long time, relative to the idea that you are driving in the WRONG DIRECTION!
 
I too wonder how she could drive 2 miles in the wrong direction. Wouldn't one notice that all the street signs are facing the wrong way? When my blood sugar drops I get loopy but in no way could I drive 2 miles down the wrong way. I would pull over and let it pass, especially if I had children in my vehicle. Were there any other adults in the van?
 
For me - unless we find out she has a drug or mental illness history - everything points to the fact that she was undergoing a life-threatening biological or psychological event, but was unaware of what was going on.
 
I too wonder how she could drive 2 miles in the wrong direction. Wouldn't one notice that all the street signs are facing the wrong way? When my blood sugar drops I get loopy but in no way could I drive 2 miles down the wrong way. I would pull over and let it pass, especially if I had children in my vehicle. Were there any other adults in the van?

No, Julespa, she was the only adult in the car. Which is why I say I can understand her being distracted with that many kids in the car but I just do not get how she was able to go those 2 miles, with other drivers trying to alert her, and not realize what was up.

Also, SCM-I get your point but one thing that I did read and I believe it was in another story re this incident was that she didn't swerve at all. Meaning that if she was undergoing some sort of physical/psychological episode...she didn't SHOW it. Other drivers reported that she wasn't driving erratically or swerving or anything like that.

I just don't get this. I just don't. And it scares the hell out of me frankly.
 
No, Julespa, she was the only adult in the car. Which is why I say I can understand her being distracted with that many kids in the car but I just do not get how she was able to go those 2 miles, with other drivers trying to alert her, and not realize what was up.

Also, SCM-I get your point but one thing that I did read and I believe it was in another story re this incident was that she didn't swerve at all. Meaning that if she was undergoing some sort of physical/psychological episode...she didn't SHOW it. Other drivers reported that she wasn't driving erratically or swerving or anything like that.

I just don't get this. I just don't. And it scares the hell out of me frankly.


Scares the beejeezus outta me too. I really hope this wasn't a suicidal thing. I have seen people have diabetic shock and heart attacks while driving, normally you go limp and drive off the road and not 2 miles in the wrong direction straight as an arrow. I have heard of people taking their own lives in this manner. I wonder if other drivers swerved out of her way or she swerved out of their way. Sounds like she was driving the van like it was a missile...I really hope that I am wrong though
 
No, Julespa, she was the only adult in the car. Which is why I say I can understand her being distracted with that many kids in the car but I just do not get how she was able to go those 2 miles, with other drivers trying to alert her, and not realize what was up.

Also, SCM-I get your point but one thing that I did read and I believe it was in another story re this incident was that she didn't swerve at all. Meaning that if she was undergoing some sort of physical/psychological episode...she didn't SHOW it. Other drivers reported that she wasn't driving erratically or swerving or anything like that.

I just don't get this. I just don't. And it scares the hell out of me frankly.

I see what you are saying, SM - about the two miles. That is very curious.
 
Scares the beejeezus outta me too. I really hope this wasn't a suicidal thing. I have seen people have diabetic shock and heart attacks while driving, normally you go limp and drive off the road and not 2 miles in the wrong direction straight as an arrow. I have heard of people taking their own lives in this manner. I wonder if other drivers swerved out of her way or she swerved out of their way. Sounds like she was driving the van like it was a missile...I really hope that I am wrong though

There have been comments at the end of a few of the articles I've read where others have speculated about the idea of a possible suicide. I will admit that the thought has crossed my mind several times but I keep pushing it away because I cannot bear that thought.

I did read that the some other drivers swerved to avoid her.

For those of you that may not be familiar with this road, it's narrow and there is no shoulder. You have no escape mechanism if something goes wrong. There is nowhere to go to avoid an oncoming car.

Something I found curious (and I really hope all my WS "training" is not making me think this way) is why she didn't call her husband to report not feeling well. She called her brother. Now, maybe her husband was working. I don't know.

Not to be the broken record but in no way does it make any sense to me. Also, this woman drove this road COUNTLESS times before.
 
So they have ruled out a medical reason for the crash.

I'm just wondering, because I sometimes have to drive over the Tappan Zee Bridge when I visit my son at law school, if she may have had a "panic attack" (you do feel disoriented and panicked). That would not be found out at an autopsy.

IDK, but I'm petrified of that bridge, and then she had to get on the Taconic Pkwy. We'll have to see if drugs/alcohol were in her system, but she knew she had the responsibility of driving all those children, so I can't imagine that unless we learn more from the results.

All so sad.
 
In the Daily News article it says she told her brother she needed help driving. Could she have been just referring to the fact she had 5 children in the car and they were being so noisy and distracting she felt like she couldn't concentrate. Driving around here is stressful to begin with I can't imagine with a car load of kids - she could have started to have a panic attack. We don't often think straight when we panic which would explain why she didn't stop like her brother told her too. Our brains turn into 'fight or flight' mode and we can become VERY single-minded and focused. If this is the case then I can see how she drove on the wrong side of the road for 2 miles without noticing.
 
Wow, this is so sad. Can you imagine the questions going through the minds of the families of the victims?
 
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