8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway #2

[BuzzieCat]

I think I understand what you're saying. I agree that she already had to have been used to using drinking/pot to cope with stress if she would have reacted to pain or stress with getting wasted, especially that wasted. That would just have to be some heck of a stressor to go that far if your intent was to get home safe and continue to hide it. I lean more and more toward thinking she did it on purpose, though I have no proof of that and no idea why she would do it. Perhaps she was severely depressed on top of using substances.

 

[rpd113]

Again, though, the theory of her being in pain is weakly supported. In his police interview, Danny told the police that Diane had no health issues. It wasn't until Ruskin -- being paid by the Schulers -- supposedly spoke with the convenience store clerk and Dom Barbara arrived that all the "something medical" theories arose.

The convenience store clerk can't be heard on the tape and never spoke to the cops. It also appeared to me that Diane was looking for either a bathroom or coffee -- she looked to the corners of the store rather than walking or scanning an aisle. And, of course, she could have stopped at countless other places if pain meds were what she wanted.

And that's not even getting into the absurdity of skipping right to vodka and pot with five kids in the car.

 

[twinkiesmom]

I think I understand what you're saying. I agree that she already had to have been used to using drinking/pot to cope with stress if she would have reacted to pain or stress with getting wasted, especially that wasted. That would just have to be some heck of a stressor to go that far if your intent was to get home safe and continue to hide it. I lean more and more toward thinking she did it on purpose, though I have no proof of that and no idea why she would do it. Perhaps she was severely depressed on top of using substances.

Replying to your other post...The stroke is such wishful thinking that it's not worthy of a mention. I also think the tooth pain is subterfuge that clouds the real issue.

I was thinking a lot about this case yesterday. Who would even think to put vodka in a McDonald's orange juice to bring along in an open car at breakfast (!) with 5 kids present? That's just demented. The average responsible concerned parent wouldn't want to get caught with that drink in the car much less get caught on a DUI. I've wanted to bring an open bottle of something expensive like Grand Marnier in the back of our SUV to a Christmas dinner, and my husband thought it was too risky.

I was getting a lot of heat a few pages back that there's no evidence of alcoholism, and that's just not the case. That drink is evidence of alcoholism.

I think she had a headache from alcohol withdrawal that was extremely exacerbated by the noise in the car (not blaming the victims, just stating a fact...backed up by the camp owner in the doco). She was in a full blown rage by the time she got to the Sunoco and peeled out of there like a maniac (go to taconictragedy.com to see the real-time peel out of that station, not the slowed down mellow version in the doco). I think she drank to soothe her rage and because she *needed* it in her system. She had probably done this before but not taken as much and gotten everyone safely home (with no one the wiser). It's only shocking to her loved ones because she kept her problem a secret.

 

[rpd113]

That drink is evidence of alcoholism.

I agree, but at the very least it's evidence of recklessness. In addition to the danger she put the kids in, being caught drinking even a DROP of alcohol in a car is an automatic DUI.

And it's kind of amazing (and heartbreaking) that she wasn't pulled over...

 

[BuzzieCat]

Again, though, the theory of her being in pain is weakly supported. In his police interview, Danny told the police that Diane had no health issues. It wasn't until Ruskin -- being paid by the Schulers -- supposedly spoke with the convenience store clerk and Dom Barbara arrived that all the "something medical" theories arose.

Agreed. I read her autopsy report, and it sounds like she was in pretty good shape internally, other than her injuries from the crash, of course. No atherosclerosis to amount to anything. I certainly don't buy that some toothache from 2005 caused her to crash in 2009.

The convenience store clerk can't be heard on the tape and never spoke to the cops. It also appeared to me that Diane was looking for either a bathroom or coffee -- she looked to the corners of the store rather than walking or scanning an aisle. And, of course, she could have stopped at countless other places if pain meds were what she wanted.

And that's not even getting into the absurdity of skipping right to vodka and pot with five kids in the car.

Agreed. I don't believe what a biased third party says the clerk says. The only pain I'd believe she might have had is from withdrawal/hangover, but even that is crazy since she could have gotten OTC pain meds anywhere and waited until she got home to drink/smoke. What it comes down to is she acted like a crazed woman that day.

Replying to your other post...The stroke is such wishful thinking that it's not worthy of a mention. I also think the tooth pain is subterfuge that clouds the real issue.

Well, yes, I agree. I don't think she had any medical issue other than possibly hangover.

I was thinking a lot about this case yesterday. Who would even think to put vodka in a McDonald's orange juice to bring along in an open car at breakfast (!) with 5 kids present? That's just demented. The average responsible concerned parent wouldn't want to get caught with that drink in the car much less get caught on a DUI. I've wanted to bring an open bottle of something expensive like Grand Marnier in the back of our SUV to a Christmas dinner, and my husband thought it was too risky.

I was getting a lot of heat a few pages back that there's no evidence of alcoholism, and that's just not the case. That drink is evidence of alcoholism.

I think she had a headache from alcohol withdrawal that was extremely exacerbated by the noise in the car (not blaming the victims, just stating a fact...backed up by the camp owner in the doco). She was in a full blown rage by the time she got to the Sunoco and peeled out of there like a maniac (go to taconictragedy.com to see the real-time peel out of that station, not the slowed down mellow version in the doco). I think she drank to soothe her rage and because she *needed* it in her system. She had probably done this before but not taken as much and gotten everyone safely home (with no one the wiser). It's only shocking to her loved ones because she kept her problem a secret.

I'm going to check the real-time peel-out. I get the feeling she was a pretty aggressive driver (and possibly pretty aggressive in other arenas, too) and the drinking was just making it worse. Still doesn't explain how she decided drinking and pot smoking + driving was okay to even start, much less get that wasted. IMO she had a very severe problem and somehow managed to get away with it until she exploded and this was the result. Whether it was on purpose or not we'll never know, but it's obvious there was a severe problem and Dan and Jay are trying to minimize the cause of one of the worst car accidents in NY state history.

It's probably mostly because of Brian that they are trying so hard to come up with implausible theories that leave Diane blameless, but it's obvious to everyone else that they are grasping at straws and they really should just not say anything. Brian needs to be in therapy and have a loving relationship with the family he has left. All this going on TV and making crazy statements makes it worse, actually, IMO.

 

[rpd113]

It's probably mostly because of Brian that they are trying so hard to come up with implausible theories that leave Diane blameless

If that was his intention, it was pretty misguided. He's already flushed tens of thousands of dollars down the toilet without reducing civil liability.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Just an anecdote to throw into this-

I had a TIA (sometimes called a mini-stroke) last year during chemo. The chemo drugs had already had me in a haze when it hit. I had a medicine cabinet of assorted narcotics from cancer treatment and the only urge I had was to call 911, not reach for a pain killer. Strokes give you the unmistakable message to get to an ER, even in the beginning.

There's no 'maybe I'll stop off and get some gelcaps', or 'maybe vodka will take the edge off'. It's: 'I'M FLOCKED - I NEED 911 STAT'.

 

[BuzzieCat]

If that was his intention, it was pretty misguided. He's already flushed tens of thousands of dollars down the toilet without reducing civil liability.

I wonder if his lawyer told him that getting her specimens re-tested would help his legal case? Because I can't imagine anything that Dan has said or done would, as you said, reduce the civil liability of Diane's estate. He is never going to find a way around the fact that she had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 and there's no stroke or toothache or leg lump or anything else that could cause that.

 

[rpd113]

I wonder if his lawyer told him that getting her specimens re-tested would help his legal case?

Oh what I would give to have been a fly on the wall for that meeting...

 

[Isabelle]

I have two words for this mystery: Four Loko!

I can has the equivalent amount of alcohol of several 12 ounce beers and a very high amount of Caffeine that masks the motor effects of alcohol, until the caffeine is cleared, about 2 hours. At that point, the person is near unconscious drunk.

Believe it or not the company that made Four Loko, which is now banned, has a new product called 'Poco Loko". Isn't that cute! They should have been shut down.

 

[twinkiesmom]

I have two words for this mystery: Four Loko!

I can has the equivalent amount of alcohol of several 12 ounce beers and a very high amount of Caffeine that masks the motor effects of alcohol, until the caffeine is cleared, about 2 hours. At that point, the person is near unconscious drunk.

Believe it or not the company that made Four Loko, which is now banned, has a new product called 'Poco Loko". Isn't that cute! They should have been shut down.

There was an Absolut bottle in the wreckage...no need to find another cause.

 

[twinkiesmom]

I wonder if his lawyer told him that getting her specimens re-tested would help his legal case?

I strongly believe Barbara was working an angle here....placating Dan by investigating the "mystery" while obtaining access to Diane's life insurance proceeds. Protecting Dan's interests would have been a distant third...IMHO only.

 

[Nova]

There was an Absolut bottle in the wreckage...no need to find another cause.

Do you recall, tm, did they find and test the o.j. cup for alcohol residue?

(Please don't go to any trouble researching this. I'm merely curious. We both know they tested the contents of Diane's stomach and found more than a few (six?) ounces of vodka.)

 

[twinkiesmom]

It's probably mostly because of Brian that they are trying so hard to come up with implausible theories that leave Diane blameless.

I don't believe it has anything to do with Bryan.

 

[twinkiesmom]

Do you recall, tm, did they find and test the o.j. cup for alcohol residue?

(Please don't go to any trouble researching this. I'm merely curious. We both know they tested the contents of Diane's stomach and found more than a few (six?) ounces of vodka.)

I don't recall them finding the OJ cup in the wreckage, but she was stopped at a rest area for awhile.

 

[Nova]

I don't recall them finding the OJ cup in the wreckage, but she was stopped at a rest area for awhile.

Thanks. Of course, it's possible she was chugging straight from the bottle, but I agree it's much more likely she was using o.j. as a mixer.

 

[twinkiesmom]

Thanks. Of course, it's possible she was chugging straight from the bottle, but I agree it's much more likely she was using o.j. as a mixer.

Well, Sheila said that the Screwdriver was her preferred drink...but some people here choose to not believe anything from the NY Post....This was published way back in Aug 6, 2009...months before the McDonald video was published showing her carrying out the large OJ.

 

[rpd113]

Well, Sheila said that the Screwdriver was her preferred drink...but some people here choose to not believe anything from the NY Post....This was published way back in Aug 6, 2009...months before the McDonald video was published showing her carrying out the large OJ.

I saw that a local news station went to that bar and asked around about Diane and didn't find anyone who recognized her. So I, too, doubt the NY Post story.

Not that it means anything. She had the dream situation for a closet drinker right at home.

 

[rpd113]

I strongly believe Barbara was working an angle here....placating Dan by investigating the "mystery" while obtaining access to Diane's life insurance proceeds. Protecting Dan's interests would have been a distant third...IMHO only.

Exactly. And while it was less clear in the documentary in which he seemed sort of like a real cop (to me), the same can be said of Ruskin. It behooved him to make the 'investigation' last as long as the money did.

 

[Nefriahaia]

I saw that a local news station went to that bar and asked around about Diane and didn't find anyone who recognized her. So I, too, doubt the NY Post story.

Not that it means anything. She had the dream situation for a closet drinker right at home.

Between her job and her family, I kind of can't see her whiling away hours in a bar. IMHO.