8 Die in Crash on Taconic State Parkway

[MeoW333]

The cell phone thing is weird, almost as if she left it there so that would be the last spot the phone could be pinged at..
Witnesses said that she stayed in the lines while driving up the wrong side of the road despite their attempts of horn honking and flashing their lights to warn her. You'd think if she wasn't feeling well that she'd be all over the road.
I just don't understand why she would keep on driving putting 5 children in the car with her at risk not to mention countless others on the roads with her when she wasn't feeling well, that in my opinion, is homicidal.

 

[MeoW333]

I find this a very harsh judgment against the driver. We simply don't know what happened.

Hoppy

Maybe so...
She was definitely acting like a woman who did not want to be found.
She could have stayed where she was and waited for her brother to get to her or the police, she didn't.
Not to mention she ditched her cell phone so if they pinged it, the police wouldn't know her exact location..

 

[SleuthyMama]

Actually, SM, people can often function in a blackout in such a way that seems very normal - at least, that happens a good deal in drug or alcohol induced blackouts (ie - people get in the car and drive home or boogie down on a dance floor or whatever, but the next morning, they have no recollection whatsoever). I believe the same could be said of a non-chemically induced blackout.

Unless I am missing something, I do not think a physical cause can be ruled out with any real certainty.

I remain with you - mystified. Something was going on with that woman and it sounds like it came and went - bad enough to call her brother, but then she felt good enough to keep driving and driving well for two hours. I've seen nothing that can make me honestly believe this was a multiple murder/suicide - I don't buy that for a second without a lot more info.

My apologies, SCM. I was taking your use of the term blackout in the most literal way possible and thinking losing conciousness. I understand what you meant now. And I believe you could be right.

 

[SleuthyMama]

The cell phone thing is weird, almost as if she left it there so that would be the last spot the phone could be pinged at..
Witnesses said that she stayed in the lines while driving up the wrong side of the road despite their attempts of horn honking and flashing their lights to warn her. You'd think if she wasn't feeling well that she'd be all over the road.
I just don't understand why she would keep on driving putting 5 children in the car with her at risk not to mention countless others on the roads with her when she wasn't feeling well, that in my opinion, is homicidal.

I can't speak for her MeoW333, but I would guess (or at least like to think) that at the time she called her bro she didn't feel well and that perhaps after talking to him for 25 minutes (per this article http://www.nypost.com/seven/07312009/news/regionalnews/love_your_children_182234.htm) she felt better and didn't want to burden him with making that trip from LI out to where she was. Tragically, her decision has destroyed several families but I'd truly like to believe it wasn't made in a malicious way.
Not the most responsible decision but hindsight is 20/20 and none of us yet know what happened in that car.

However, the cell phone thing still keeps me wondering.

I do hope that when her son recuperates he may be able to shed some light on what could have happened.

 

[Lyn1001]

I will prefece my post by saying I have not read all the articles, so I may be way off base....

I know the autopsy showed no physical problem. However, is it possible she could have taken cold or allergy medicine with pseudoephedrine in it? I ask because when I was younger, I was able to take it without a problem, but when I became a teenager, I had a horrible reaction to it and can no longer take it. It came out of no where. I took a Sudefed while at school. I was able to take perfect notes, carry on converstations, and walk down the hall, but it was almost like I was "split" because I felt like I was all fuzzy and disconnected while doing it. I actually watched myself walk down the hallway. It freaked me out so bad I called my mom to take me home. My pediatrician (I was 15) laughed at me and told me I'm oversensitive to pseudoephedrine and it made me "high". I thinks that's why I never touched drugs!! The point is, to everyone else, I appeared perfectly normal and was able to accomplish everything I was doing without a problem, but I was completely out of wack. Honestly, I probably could have driven the wrong way and never really realized what was going on or, if I did, I wouldn't have been able to stop it because I didn't feel like I was in control of myself. It felt like my body was controlling itself.

 

[SleuthyMama]

I suppose that's a valid suggestion Lyn. We'll have to wait for the toxicology reports to come back to see if she had any medication in her system.

I still can't take Benadryl without falling asleep or Nyquil without feeling like my whole head is encased in a fuzzy, woozy fog and I'm 40 years old. So it's definitely possible.

 

[MeoW333]

Wrong-way driver took bizarre route after distressed cell-phone conversation with brother

http://www.lohud.com/article/2009907310353

It's been mentioned in earlier commentary that police are giving the family time to grieve before they start questioning her husband and brother..

 

[MeoW333]

I can't speak for her MeoW333, but I would guess (or at least like to think) that at the time she called her bro she didn't feel well and that perhaps after talking to him for 25 minutes (per this article http://www.nypost.com/seven/07312009/news/regionalnews/love_your_children_182234.htm) she felt better and didn't want to burden him with making that trip from LI out to where she was. Tragically, her decision has destroyed several families but I'd truly like to believe it wasn't made in a malicious way.
Not the most responsible decision but hindsight is 20/20 and none of us yet know what happened in that car.

However, the cell phone thing still keeps me wondering.

I do hope that when her son recuperates he may be able to shed some light on what could have happened.

That could be, however why wouldn't she just call her brother back and tell him not to go out looking for her if that was the case? It'd be more of a burden on him to lead him on a wild goose chase looking for her.

 

[SleuthyMama]

I hear ya, MeoW, I really do. We may never know what exactly was said between the two of them and why she chose to continue driving.

 

[southcitymom]

Based on everything I have read and seen, I think this woman was in a blackout and we may never know what caused it. (though - maybe toxicology will unearth something)

I think when she called her brother from the side of the road saying she was disoriented and having visual disturbances, she probably had every intention of staying put. I think she may have gotten out of the car to get some air and accidentally left the cell phone. After that, no one knows what route she took until she wound up going the wrong way on the parkway. She was in some sort of fugue state, functioning but unaware of what was going on.

Nothing I've read leads me to believe that this woman did anything wrong. In fact, she pulled over and called for help when she began to feel odd. She is a victim as much as the 7 people who died. My continued prayers for the families.

 

[Shecky]

It seems to me that if one is disoriented enough to drive in the wrong lane, into oncoming traffic while oblivious of other drivers honking at them, it is reasonable to assume that their motor skills could be effected as well. Yet reports have stated that she was not swerving, but was instead driving quite fast in a straight line. I'm not trying to insinuate anything, but I do understand why this gives some people cause for pause and to think "now wait a minute..".

Terrible tragedy, no matter what the cause. I do hope they find answers.

 

[southcitymom]

It seems to me that if one is disoriented enough to drive in the wrong lane, into oncoming traffic while oblivious of other drivers honking at them, it is reasonable to assume that their motor skills could be effected as well. Yet reports have stated that she was not swerving, but was instead driving quite fast in a straight line. I'm not trying to insinuate anything, but I do understand why this gives some people cause for pause and to think "now wait a minute..".

Terrible tragedy, no matter what the cause. I do hope they find answers.

I once watched a friend in a blackout dance perfectly in a fairly complex 5-minute line dance. Fifteen minutes later, she had NO idea she had just done it and I told her she needed to go home. The next day, she couldn't remember a thing from about an hour before she danced until she woke up, but as she talked to people throughout the day and investigated her surroundings in order to uncover her missing hours, she had done plenty of things to include have lengthy, lucid telephone conversations, give her dog a bath and drive/walk to a store to get a pack of cigarettes.

Another acquaintance of mine drove his best friend home from a bar while he was in a blackout. Apparently, the friend was hanging out of the window and something happened (not an accident per se, but he drove to close to something) and the friend was decapitated. My acquaintance had no idea - he just kept driving, pulled into his driveway and parked, walked inside and had a conversation with his brother (who had no idea he was in a blackout) and went to bed. He discovered his friend's body the next morning when he got into his car to drive to work. He's in jail now.

This is not to say that sometimes people don't act sloppy or uncoordinated during a blackout - just to point out that's not always the case - sometimes they just go about their business - doing totally normal things or doing crazy things with no awareness.

 

[Shecky]

I once watched a friend in a blackout dance perfectly in a fairly complex 5-minute line dance. Fifteen minutes later, she had NO idea she had just done it and I told her she needed to go home. The next day, she couldn't remember a thing from about an hour before she danced until she woke up, but as she talked to people throughout the day and investigated her surroundings in order to uncover her missing hours, she had done plenty of things to include have lengthy, lucid telephone conversations, give her dog a bath and drive/walk to a store to get a pack of cigarettes.

Another acquaintance of mine drove his best friend home from a bar while he was in a blackout. Apparently, the friend was hanging out of the window and something happened (not an accident per se, but he drove to close to something) and the friend was decapitated. My acquaintance had no idea - he just kept driving, pulled into his driveway and parked, walked inside and had a conversation with his brother (who had no idea he was in a blackout) and went to bed. He discovered his friend's body the next morning when he got into his car to drive to work. He's in jail now.

This is not to say that sometimes people don't act sloppy or uncoordinated during a blackout - just to point out that's not always the case - sometimes they just go about their business - doing totally normal things or doing crazy things with no awareness.

My parents were both alcoholics when I was growing up, so I too have seen people function quite well while in a blackout. I'm not saying it was impossible for her to function despite whatever was ailing her, simply that I understand why people are asking the questions that they are.

Oh and good God! I can't imagine what it must have been like for your acquaintance to find his friends body. That is horrific.

 

[turbosleuthing]

Another acquaintance of mine drove his best friend home from a bar while he was in a blackout. Apparently, the friend was hanging out of the window and something happened (not an accident per se, but he drove to close to something) and the friend was decapitated. My acquaintance had no idea - he just kept driving, pulled into his driveway and parked, walked inside and had a conversation with his brother (who had no idea he was in a blackout) and went to bed. He discovered his friend's body the next morning when he got into his car to drive to work. He's in jail now.

I remember reading about that - tragic, the boys were barely in their 20's iirc.

 

[southcitymom]

I remember reading about that - tragic, the boys were barely in their 20's iirc.

It was awful - I did not know the driver well, but he was in one of my circle's. It was heartbreaking for everyone - one of the many tolls of addiction.

In this story there is, of course, no indication (yet) that the driver was chemically impaired. I doubt she was.

 

[southcitymom]

My parents were both alcoholics when I was growing up, so I too have seen people function quite well while in a blackout. I'm not saying it was impossible for her to function despite whatever was ailing her, simply that I understand why people are asking the questions that they are.

Oh and good God! I can't imagine what it must have been like for your acquaintance to find his friends body. That is horrific.

I hear you, Shecky, and I agree. Sorry if my post came across as jumping on you - that wasn't my intent! :blowkiss: This is a very mysterious case - and the end result, so painfully tragic!

 

[Shecky]

I hear you, Shecky, and I agree. Sorry if my post came across as jumping on you - that wasn't my intent! :blowkiss: This is a very mysterious case - and the end result, so painfully tragic!

Oh, I didn't take it that way at all! :blowkiss:

This case is just so puzzling, I don't even know what to think. I hope more will come to light in the coming days.

 

[redheadedgal]

Another acquaintance of mine drove his best friend home from a bar while he was in a blackout. Apparently, the friend was hanging out of the window and something happened (not an accident per se, but he drove to close to something) and the friend was decapitated. My acquaintance had no idea - he just kept driving, pulled into his driveway and parked, walked inside and had a conversation with his brother (who had no idea he was in a blackout) and went to bed. He discovered his friend's body the next morning when he got into his car to drive to work. He's in jail now.

i remember reading about this too... and i googled the story to refresh my memory. the one article i found reports that the driver was covered in blood so i wonder: wouldn't his brother notice this? it also says a neighbour discovered the body. i'm not implying your version is incorrect, scm... i just wonder what the truth is since there are discrepancies. (i do realize there could be more than one story like this so maybe i got the wrong one... )

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/3689970/detail.html


and i too am really curious why the woman drove the wrong way on the highway for that long... i just don't understand how one can do this if there are no drugs/alcohol involved ???

 

[southcitymom]

i remember reading about this too... and i googled the story to refresh my memory. the one article i found reports that the driver was covered in blood so i wonder: wouldn't his brother notice this? it also says a neighbour discovered the body. i'm not implying your version is incorrect, scm... i just wonder what the truth is since there are discrepancies. (i do realize there could be more than one story like this so maybe i got the wrong one... )

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/3689970/detail.html


and i too am really curious why the woman drove the wrong way on the highway for that long... i just don't understand how one can do this if there are no drugs/alcohol involved ???

Hey RHG,

That is the story and I heard my version from John (the driver). I didn't ask him any questions - I don't know anything about the blood being on him. When he was telling the story, he just mentioned the talking to his brother when he went inside. I was not keeping up with the news stories too specifically when it happened! It is the saddest story. His best friend's family was devastated but really supported John - apparently the two of them had been close since childhood.

 

[MeoW333]

Here's another link to another update on this story in the Westchester Journal; now it seems the paper is giving conflicting information and that the husband was headed home in a seperate vehicle with the family dog.. the reason he didn't ride with them was they were stopping for lunch? Not sure why the paper originally reported he was fishing. Now if he were driving home, too, he would have been in cell phone range of her and not out as was reported..

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090801/NEWS02/908010355&s=d&page=3