8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway #2

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
bondobbs said:
She lived on Long Island. It would have been impossible for her to drop the kids off at home as she was upstate that morning.

I drove that stretch of highways this weekend. I was struck with the fact that when I went through the toll booths on the Tappan Zee Bridge (where she took the call from her brother and set her phone down), the signage is actually rather good right there. If she had gotten off at Tarrytown (which is the first exit on the right), there is no way she would have died. She must have gone north on the saw mill and then up the taconic and then back down the taconic. The thing is: the north exit on the saw mill is very steep and turns all the way around. It goes down under the highway and back up steeply to the north bound lanes. If she was plastered, I'm surprised she was able to navigate that without crashing.

I'm still struck that the kids would have probably been screaming at her, right? I have a 9 yr old and she would have known that they were going the wrong way. I don't know how Diane was able to drive or do anything if the kids were screaming at her to stop.
Click to expand...

I am from the south and have never driven on that parkway. I am just going off the YouTube video and some of the other posts I have read about the parkway. The witnesses from the documentary said she was staring straight ahead and acted like she did not notice anything. That sort of lends some support it was intentional. You are right the older kids would have known she was going the wrong way. The poor children were probably terrified which alone is unforgivable. I mean a quick accident which is the result of a drunk driver is far different than the minutes it took for her to drive the wrong way directly in to another vehicle. Truly horrible. That is why I guess I cannot get it out of my head. My husband is a cop and he told me the story of one of the worst wrecks he was first responder on. It was family driving home to Georgia from a Christmas vacation up north. The parents were in a car ahead and their three daughters were in another car shortly behind. Traffic backed up and the parents got a mile or so ahead. There was an 18 wheeler that jack-knifed and the girls car went under the trailer of the truck bisecting all of them. The parents drove all the way back to Georgia and had to be told all of their children died behind them in North Carolina. I drive that same stretch of highway everyday for work and think of that wreck everyday. The only comfort is at least for all of these children it was probably I very quick end and they did not suffer. That poor little boy will probably never be "okay".
 
My wife drives that stretch of highway 3 days a week to go to/from work. The thing that struck me about the whole story was this: Diane Schuler didn't go off course until she took that phone call from her brother or until the niece called her brother. She was on course toward Long Island until then. Once she set the phone down on the side of the Tappan Zee, she immediately went off course and went north instead of east/south. She must have gone up the Saw Mill. The question is: why? Did she say "f*ck it, my life is ruined" and decide to end it? Did she not want to be found? Did she think she could hide and sober up? It's weird. She immediately went off course after than phone call. Immediately. She would have had to have gone north on the Saw Mill and then the Taconic and then back south on the Taconic in the north-bound lane. That happened directly after the phone call.
 
bondobbs said:
My wife drives that stretch of highway 3 days a week to go to/from work. The thing that struck me about the whole story was this: Diane Schuler didn't go off course until she took that phone call from her brother or until the niece called her brother. She was on course toward Long Island until then. Once she set the phone down on the side of the Tappan Zee, she immediately went off course and went north instead of east/south. She must have gone up the Saw Mill. The question is: why? Did she say "f*ck it, my life is ruined" and decide to end it? Did she not want to be found? Did she think she could hide and sober up? It's weird. She immediately went off course after than phone call. Immediately. She would have had to have gone north on the Saw Mill and then the Taconic and then back south on the Taconic in the north-bound lane. That happened directly after the phone call.
Click to expand...

Over at People you'll see in hell, there is a page about Diane Schuler on which a user who did a lot of research about the case has posted the murder/suicide theory. http://pysih.com/2009/09/02/diane-schuler/

I have to disagree with his analysis that she planned it from the beginning that morning. I think she made an impulsive decision after that phone call. Of course, we'll never know for sure unless the brother discloses the details from the phone calls.

I am fascinated with this case (obviously, or I wouldn't be posting about it 2 1/2 years later!). I truly believe that Diane Schuler was probably borderline (because the description of her and her history make it likely) and made an impulsive decision to get back at the brother and her husband. Borderline people can make wildly dangerous and impulsive decisions. Studies show that 75% of people with BPD have substance abuse issues and 75% have attempted suicide at one time in their lives. ONLY (and I capitalized that because "only" is 400 times more than the general public) 8-10% actually kill themselves, because the attempts are usually impulsive - i.e. they take all the drugs on hand and it doesn't kill them. That's a reason your should NEVER have a gun in the house with someone who has BPD.

The most recent studies about BPD show that it is likely biological and that it's not really a personality disorder. It can be vastly improved with the proper therapy. My daughter went through 2 years of DBT and she's doing wonderfully now. Yet, if it remains untreated, it can lead to some rather awful stuff - like suicide or murder. The only mental illness that is more dangerous seems to be psychopathy.
 
RE: going off course after the Warren call

Could have been as simple as Diane's pride or embarrassment kicking in when Warren said he was coming to find her, and not wanting to be found in a drunken/stoned state with the kids.

But according to the evidence, she was drinking and smoking right up until the fateful end, not trying to sober up or get the kids home safely with an alternate route.

I dunno. None of this makes sense, but I still think the strongest case can be made for an intentional crash, with the Warren call being pivotal one way or another.
 
bondobbs said:
Over at People you'll see in hell, there is a page about Diane Schuler on which a user who did a lot of research about the case has posted the murder/suicide theory. http://pysih.com/2009/09/02/diane-schuler/

I have to disagree with his analysis that she planned it from the beginning that morning. I think she made an impulsive decision after that phone call. Of course, we'll never know for sure unless the brother discloses the details from the phone calls.

I am fascinated with this case (obviously, or I wouldn't be posting about it 2 1/2 years later!). I truly believe that Diane Schuler was probably borderline (because the description of her and her history make it likely) and made an impulsive decision to get back at the brother and her husband. Borderline people can make wildly dangerous and impulsive decisions. Studies show that 75% of people with BPD have substance abuse issues and 75% have attempted suicide at one time in their lives. ONLY (and I capitalized that because "only" is 400 times more than the general public) 8-10% actually kill themselves, because the attempts are usually impulsive - i.e. they take all the drugs on hand and it doesn't kill them. That's a reason your should NEVER have a gun in the house with someone who has BPD.

The most recent studies about BPD show that it is likely biological and that it's not really a personality disorder. It can be vastly improved with the proper therapy. My daughter went through 2 years of DBT and she's doing wonderfully now. Yet, if it remains untreated, it can lead to some rather awful stuff - like suicide or murder. The only mental illness that is more dangerous seems to be psychopathy.
Click to expand...

I went and read the article on The People You will See in Hell website. Regrettably I clicked on this link on the side listing these five names. These were perhaps some of the most degenerate people I have ever read about. I wish I had not clicked and read it. Anyway, I am not totally sure she premeditated the act either. A mood disorder coupled with psychological trauma extending from her childhood is a reasonable explanation of why she snapped. Wonder if they will do an episode on the show Snapped? Guess they do not have enough facts to support the show of motive.
 
I did not watch the HBO special; however, what I recall is Diane left the camping grounds early that morning in a van with her children and nieces, and Daniel left in a separate vehicle with his dog. She started drinking and smoking early on prior to the telephone call to her brother and when she called her brother she stated something about running late. At some point she was seen pulled off to the side of the road on two separate occasions on her knees and appeared to be vomiting.

It's not for me to say what her plans were, but it appears she at plenty of time to stop what she was doing, and her, and her family, and three gentlemen killed in the crash that fateful day would still be alive.
 
Dear Arielilane, Your many post have been ,to me, hearfelt although when you say "She
started drinking and smoking early... indicates you were present at the time of these
events.
What indications are you refering to "it appears she had plenty of time to stop what she was doing....
You seem to have some inside knowledge as to Diane's intensions that day. as do many who have posted here in the last three years
 
Arielilane is simply doing what we are all doing: drawing conclusions from circumstantial evidence. It's all anybody can do, since the most important eyewitnesses are all dead, except for one very little boy who doesn't remember.

After rereading the last couple of pages, I think the simplest explanation is that Diane speaks with her brother, lays down the phone and immediately forgets about it. She then takes a wrong ramp and heads north instead of south.

She is still drinking and/or smoking dope so her comprehension continues to deteriorate and it is some time before she realizes her error. She may also be distracted by whatever caused the heavy drinking in the first place. (IIRC the highways in that area twist and turn quite a bit. Anyone could be confused as to north v. south, but a drunk would be especially likely to be befuddled.)

When she finally realizes her error, she takes the next ramp to go back south. Unfortunately, in her drunken state, she confuses a north-bound ramp for a south-band ramp and is now driving against the flow of traffic. (The video shows how easy it would be for an impaired person to do so.)

The kids see her error and are screaming. Diane panics and drunkenly decides the best course is to go as fast as possible to get to a place where she can get off the highway. This is of course fatally stupid, but she is too impaired to think logically. So she races the wrong way in the fast lane, honking to ward off oncoming traffic while looking for a place to get off the highway.

With the other car approaching at 75 mph and Diane going 80 (while looking for an exit), she may not even see the car she hits.

Occam aside, the simplest explanation isn't always the accurate one. But I think the above is more likely than a conscious murder/suicide by such potentially ineffective means.
 
Nova said:
Arielilane is simply doing what we are all doing: drawing conclusions from circumstantial evidence. It's all anybody can do, since the most important eyewitnesses are all dead, except for one very little boy who doesn't remember.

After rereading the last couple of pages, I think the simplest explanation is that Diane speaks with her brother, lays down the phone and immediately forgets about it. She then takes a wrong ramp and heads north instead of south.

She is still drinking and/or smoking dope so her comprehension continues to deteriorate and it is some time before she realizes her error. She may also be distracted by whatever caused the heavy drinking in the first place. (IIRC the highways in that area twist and turn quite a bit. Anyone could be confused as to north v. south, but a drunk would be especially likely to be befuddled.)

When she finally realizes her error, she takes the next ramp to go back south. Unfortunately, in her drunken state, she confuses a north-bound ramp for a south-band ramp and is now driving against the flow of traffic. (The video shows how easy it would be for an impaired person to do so.)

The kids see her error and are screaming. Diane panics and drunkenly decides the best course is to go as fast as possible to get to a place where she can get off the highway. This is of course fatally stupid, but she is too impaired to think logically. So she races the wrong way in the fast lane, honking to ward off oncoming traffic while looking for a place to get off the highway.

With the other car approaching at 75 mph and Diane going 80 (while looking for an exit), she may not even see the car she hits.

Occam aside, the simplest explanation isn't always the accurate one. But I think the above is more likely than a conscious murder/suicide by such potentially ineffective means.
Click to expand...

:clap::clap:

NOVA....once again, I completely agree with you. Thanks for this post.

This, to me, is the most logical explanation (although following early posts, sometimes an ILLOGICAL act cannot be understood).

Prayers to little Bryan.
 
I have read the discussion here on Diane's health at the time but little mention whether Diane may have had high cholesterol, high or low blood pressure, thyroid problems or any of several other modern diagnosed physical illnesses or combinations there of, and it was also odvious Diane was overweight from a degree of an eating disorder.

I think it was Diane's indiscreet eating habits that ultimately caused the crash.

On Saturday night, late, Diane consumed some tainted food which did not manifest itself until the following mid-morning.
I have had this same nightmare happen to me in the same time frame while also on a road trip. This affliction is called foodborne disease/illness or food poisoning.
 
Nova said:
Arielilane is simply doing what we are all doing: drawing conclusions from circumstantial evidence. It's all anybody can do, since the most important eyewitnesses are all dead, except for one very little boy who doesn't remember.

After rereading the last couple of pages, I think the simplest explanation is that Diane speaks with her brother, lays down the phone and immediately forgets about it. She then takes a wrong ramp and heads north instead of south.

She is still drinking and/or smoking dope so her comprehension continues to deteriorate and it is some time before she realizes her error. She may also be distracted by whatever caused the heavy drinking in the first place. (IIRC the highways in that area twist and turn quite a bit. Anyone could be confused as to north v. south, but a drunk would be especially likely to be befuddled.)

When she finally realizes her error, she takes the next ramp to go back south. Unfortunately, in her drunken state, she confuses a north-bound ramp for a south-band ramp and is now driving against the flow of traffic. (The video shows how easy it would be for an impaired person to do so.)

The kids see her error and are screaming. Diane panics and drunkenly decides the best course is to go as fast as possible to get to a place where she can get off the highway. This is of course fatally stupid, but she is too impaired to think logically. So she races the wrong way in the fast lane, honking to ward off oncoming traffic while looking for a place to get off the highway.

With the other car approaching at 75 mph and Diane going 80 (while looking for an exit), she may not even see the car she hits.

Occam aside, the simplest explanation isn't always the accurate one. But I think the above is more likely than a conscious murder/suicide by such potentially ineffective means.
Click to expand...

I, too, agree with this scenario. In Diane's police report, there is mention of at least 3 different witnesses who saw her driving the wrong way on the TSP. Each said the minivan was half in the lane and half on the shoulder (towards the median). It seems she was trying to find a place to get off the highway. See pages 10 and 11.

http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/policereport/schuler, diane_police_report.pdf

Sad story, don't drink and get high while driving.
 
foilsman said:
I have read the discussion here on Diane's health at the time but little mention whether Diane may have had high cholesterol, high or low blood pressure, thyroid problems or any of several other modern diagnosed physical illnesses or combinations there of, and it was also odvious Diane was overweight from a degree of an eating disorder.

I think it was Diane's indiscreet eating habits that ultimately caused the crash.

On Saturday night, late, Diane consumed some tainted food which did not manifest itself until the following mid-morning.
I have had this same nightmare happen to me in the same time frame while also on a road trip. This affliction is called foodborne disease/illness or food poisoning.
Click to expand...

I'm not challenging your opinion; I'm just asking for clarification.

How does food poisoning jive with the alcohol in her system and stomach? The last time I had food poisoning, I couldn't have kept alcohol down for days afterward.
 
Betty P said:
I, too, agree with this scenario. In Diane's police report, there is mention of at least 3 different witnesses who saw her driving the wrong way on the TSP. Each said the minivan was half in the lane and half on the shoulder (towards the median). It seems she was trying to find a place to get off the highway. See pages 10 and 11.

http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/policereport/schuler, diane_police_report.pdf

Sad story, don't drink and get high while driving.
Click to expand...

if she was trying to get off the highway, wouldn't it naturally follow that she decrease her speed?
 
sharkeyes said:
Watched it 3 more times on In Demand before it expired on Jan. 2. I'm hung up on the gas station attendant...googled/searched like crazy for something...anything relative to a statement he made. I find nothing in the police report: http://www.autopsyfiles.org/reports/policereport/schuler, diane_police_report.pdf

other than a reference to the video of Diane at the Sunoco station being part of the evidence. I want to know if the Sunoco attendant was interviewed and what statements he gave. It's difficult to tell what she says to him in the video, but she does say something to him, however brief.

As I watched the doc this time around, I found myself asking "why didn't you tell the kids to get out of the van and stay out...and to call 911 and not get back in that van no matter what, make a scene, flag down a car, scream, cry, stomp your feet, but don't get back in the van" when Warren called Diane and asked her to put Emma on the phone when they were stopped at Tarrytown. I know he told them to "stay put", he had no idea what was about to happen.

I also am leaning toward Diane thinking that SHE was the one going the right way and it was the other people driving the wrong way...it would fit right in with her personality/controlling nature...and many of us probably know what it's like trying to get a person who is *****faced drunk to understand when they're wrong.
Click to expand...

[bbm]

seems about right to me
 
Nova said:
I'm not challenging your opinion; I'm just asking for clarification.

How does food poisoning jive with the alcohol in her system and stomach? The last time I had food poisoning, I couldn't have kept alcohol down for days afterward.
Click to expand...

Dear Nova, It does not "jive"..which is my point.
I believe Diane injured herself during one or more of her attemps to purge the poison from her system.
To speculate about Diane's behavior and for those who portray her as irresponsible, etc.,
after a certain point in her travels that day is itself irresponsible.
 
foilsman said:
Dear Nova, It does not "jive"..which is my point.
I believe Diane injured herself during one or more of her attemps to purge the poison from her system.
To speculate about Diane's behavior and for those who portray her as irresponsible, etc.,
after a certain point in her travels that day is itself irresponsible.
Click to expand...

[bbm]

at what point would you say her responsibility ended?
 
LadyL said:
[bbm]

at what point would you say her responsibility ended?
Click to expand...

Dear Lady L, Thats not easy to determine but I think Diane's responsibility had begun to wane
shortly before crossing the TZ Bridge.. but for sure when she pulled over on the east side and talked with her brother by phone.
 
We will never know what was in Diane's mind and heart that day. Never. IMO, it's pointless to try to determine it.

And Danny doesn't know, either. IMO.
 
LadyL said:
if she was trying to get off the highway, wouldn't it naturally follow that she decrease her speed?
Click to expand...

Yes, logically, but that's exactly the type of reasoning that alcohol impairs.

I imagine her rushing to find a place to get off the road, intending to slow down as soon as she found her "exit". If, as we all suspect, the children were screaming, that may have only increased her haste.

Of course, she should have just pulled off to the side and stopped. But that would have certainly attracted police attention and a sobriety test. Maybe she wasn't too drunk to realize that much.
 
LadyL said:
[bbm]

seems about right to me
Click to expand...

Yet another possibility is that she was so impaired she actually thought she was driving on a two-way, no-median highway. She was, after all, driving on the "right-hand" side.

But the eyewitness testimony saying she was driving half in the fast lane and half in the breakdown lane tends to support the theory that she had realized she was going the wrong way and was looking for a way out. (Or she was too drunk to stay in her lane.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Members online

... and 215 more.
Total: 4,314 (members: 216, guests: 4,098)

Online statistics

Members online
216
Guests online
4,098
Total visitors
4,314
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
592,155
Messages
17,964,346
Members
228,705
Latest member
mhenderson
Back
Top