She drove south in the left lane for 1.7 miles before smashing into the Chevy Trailblazer driven by Guy Bastardi, 49. I would posit that's what she mixed her Absolut Vodka with that was found in the van rubble. Being from the UK I only recently heard about the tragedy that this book is written about. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. I always drank vodka at that time of day because it was much less detectable to those around me. November 24, 2009 8:26pm. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. "She seemed to be good at whatever she attempted," her friend, Sue Troccoli, said. "People always ask how I feel about Diane," Hance told the magazine. 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. She warns that not all those who have upsets in life will end up like Schuler. 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. A caller to WABC/Channel 7 said the campground at Hunters Lake where Schuler and her family regularly stayed is a known boozing area, where wild parties are the norm. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Theres no way my husband would abandon me in order to go fishing or go home to conclude a family camping trip. Thanks for contacting us. I read the other book "I'll See You Again" that focuses on the Hance family and I watched the HBO documentary. Warren Hance told his sister, Diane Schuler, to pull over and wait for him to pick them up. Diane Schuler's husband did not buy any of these police reports. They piled into her brother Warren's red 2004 Ford Windstar minivan, while her husband Daniel followed behind in a truck with the family dog. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. . . The story of Diane Schuler is a sobering account of how dangerous the hidden life of functional addiction can be. Being from the UK I only recently heard about the tragedy that this book is written about. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. You don't keep suing peopleIf she was alive today, Diane would likely be in jail.". On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York. Daniel Schuler filed a lawsuit Monday against the state in the New York Court of Claims, arguing that the highway was poorly designed [] Amidst all the uncertainties of how and why this accident occurred, this is the absolutely last thing that we ever would have expected, the Hances said in a statement. The lesson learned, she said, is that mental problems should not be stigmatizing and those who struggle should "feel free to communicate so we can see warning signs. Daniel Schuler has maintained a round-the-clock vigil at Bryans bedside since the crash. Sources have come forward to say that Diane was unhappy in her marriage, felt trapped, and was aware her husband was having an affair (the babysitter at the press conference who later moved in)? Oops, something didn't work. Nor would Schuler's lawyer allow him to respond to questions regarding the scientific findings that his wife had high levels of THC in her system, the active ingredient in marijuana. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Most experts ruled out suicide. This story has been shared 121,242 times. Probably because of this, from the New York Daily News: The families of the three Yonkers men in the SUV said they plan to sue. Diane Schuler was a mother of two small children who loaded her own kids and three others into her minivan for a long drive home from a camping trip. John O'Farrell later told the Daily News. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2014, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2014. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. "For someone like Diane, they try harder and harder and they will never be satisfied with being good enough," he said. Diane Schuler and her 2-year-old daughter also died in the accident. 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 Friend. This condition would account Diane's apparent lack of prior alcoholic behaviors. The minivan plunged downhill and burst into flames as the SUV was pushed across two lanes and struck by another SUV. This is a carousel with slides. I would especially like to know why no one has explored the Ambien angle. 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. I read Jackie Hance's beautifully written memoire of her heartbreaking and unimaginable loss of her three little girls before I read this. 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. The Long Island mom driving the wrong-way minivan in the Taconic State Parkway tragedy called her brother two hours before the crash to say she was sick and disoriented, cops said Monday. 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. "Daniel Schuler, whose wife, Diane Schuler, killed herself and seven others in a wrong-way crash on the Taconic State Parkway is suing the state and his brother-in-law, whose three daughters were victims. Her husband, Daniel, took his pick-up . Several drivers flashed their lights and honked to get Schuler's attention. Resend Activation Email. July 13, 2011 12:40 pm. It was written by the wife of the son and brother of one of the deceased males but is done so in third person so that was a strange literary choice. She was high on marijuana and had the equivalent of 10 shots of booze in her stomach. "All of us are very, very sad for the loss of the little girls, and our hearts go out to the family," she said. The film follows Schuler's husband, Daniel, and her sister-in-law, Jay Schuler, who for two years have been trying to clear her name, insisting a medical emergency was to blame. 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. 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 . Dianne Wilson-Struber and her husband Stephen Struber were both jailed for life in 2015 after murdering Bruce Schuler after he went missing in 2012 near the Palmerville station, north Queensland . Diane was a 36-year-old account executive, bringing home around $100,000 at the time of the crash. After studying and watching and thinking that the most simple answer is likely the real answer I posit this. A system error has occurred. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. A case of deceipt, lies, and denials. The Long Island mother who drove bombed out of her mind with a minivan full of kidstriggering a head-on collision that killed 8routinely bellied up to the bar and griped about her failing marriage and stressful job, a drinking buddy told The Post. And it would be reasonable to ask that Daniel Shueler not profit from the acts of his wife that day. The birth of Kasey Rose came after Jackie had been pushed to the brink of taking her own life due to the grief from the loss of their daughters, Emma, 8; Alyson . I agree with other readers that there was a lot of venom in this writing. But owner Ann Scott insisted that such revelers are immediately thrown off the premises. She couldn't see" and, "I flew out of the car like superman. We have set your language to I think she took one the last night of the camping trip, or maybe had been taking them, and the Ambien caused the confused fugue state she ended up in which could be the reason she drank from the vodka bottle. The kids went to bed around 9:00 PM Saturday night while Daniel and Diane stayed up. Besides her parents, she is predeceased by her daughter, Diane E. Hance-Schuler, granddaughters, Erin M. Schuler, Emma, Alyson, and Kate Hance. Dad gets up early and leaves with the dog. First breach in picture of Schuler as untroubled, Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 06, 2009 02:59 PM |, Reflections humorous and serious on the British character . You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. But owner Ann Scott insisted that such revelers are immediately thrown off the premises. Daniel Schuler has maintained a round-the-clock vigil at Bryans bedside since the crash. On July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler, 36, was driving the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York when her minivan slammed into an SUV, killing Diane, her young daughter, three nieces, and three passengers in the other vehicle. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. In the smoldering vehicle and twisted metal scattered along the highway, lay the bodies of eight people. 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. Diane was a type A control freak who had to have things her way and had a hard time relaxing. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Only one child survived the crash when the mini van collided head on with a SUV driven by Guy Bastardi. Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland, Rebecca Rosenberg, Kieran Crowley, Perry Chiaramonte and Larry Celona. "She never talked about it, almost like she wasn't even there.". Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2013. Diane Schuler, a mother and aunt with her children and her sister's children in a min-van, goes the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway in Westchester county and plows into an SUV head-on killing three in the SUV and 4 children and herself in the mini-van. During that call, Hance spoke with one of his daughters, but he never indicated . "We are all coming together in faith," said the Rev. Ada Hart. Look inside to read what others have shared. [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 . I didn't like the parts of the book where they discuss as a family the little boy who survived in an almost insulting and irreverent way. On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old mother of two Diane Schuler drove her mini-van the wrong way on New York's Taconic State Parkway and collided head on with an oncoming vehicle. Diane, her daughter, and two of her nieces died immediately upon impact. This account has been disabled. The anger about the foundation in the Hance girls honor. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Her minivan collided with an SUV, resulting in the deaths of Schuler, her daughter, her three nieces, and three passengers in the other car. A person not used to drinking daily would not have the ability to drink the amount Diane had in her system when she died. Leading up to the crash, it appeared as though Schuler was behaving normally. "It's possible there was some sort of a medical condition," he said. She doesn't call her husband, she calls her brother Warren who does nothing for two hours knowing his three little girls are in that van. It even offers a theory as to why in the aftermath of the crash despite there being three families claiming to want the truth, in the end only the Bastardis actually meant what they said. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Diane Schuler (240061915)? "She was not someone who gave up. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Try again later. From R69s link: "July 25, 2011: HBO releases "There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane," with the cooperation of Daniel Schuler and his sister-in-law Jay. I also understand their anger and desire to find answers. Although her three brothers reconciled with their mother, Schuler refused, according to her husband. Her 5-year-old son, Brian Schuler, was the only one who survived the crash. I read this strictly to get more info on this tragic case. My brother. Diane Schuler was able to do so. At the same time, her husband left in a gray pickup with their family dog. Please try again later. Not someone who was bad. Friends and family tell filmmaker Filmmaker Liz Garbus that in every aspect of her life, Diane Schuler strived to be the best. Someone had to know, but that someone chose to say nothing, and now all these people are dead.. Others in her life do not report seeing her drink alcohol to excess. "I made many efforts," her mother, Eileen, tells me. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. How much and when is anyone's guess. We would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with someone who might jeopardize their safety. 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 . Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 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. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Drunkenness was evident: a blood alcohol content of 0.19 with 6 grams . Second, her husband had two different versions of where he was going that day: fishing and back home to Long Island. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. August 6, 2009 6:36am. One little boy (her son) survived with life altering injuries. I believe she drank and smoked pot with her husband on weekends and camping trips. In keeping the promise that I made to my father, I hope this book can in some way speak for my brother, Guy, and my father. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Eventually, she slammed head-on into another vehicle, killing Guy Bastardi, 43, his father Michael Bastardi, 81, and a family friend, Daniel Longo, 72. He claims Diane was sober and just fine, perfectly capable of caring for five children and getting home. She eventually crashed into an oncoming SUV . Having read both books, its obvious that the Bastardi and Hance families grieve in different ways. But when Diane was a child, her mother Eileen left the family. "Joan Schuler said that the deceased smoked marijuana virtually every single day of her life," said Irving Anolik, a lawyer for the family of Michael Bastardi and his son Guy, both of whom died when Diane Schuler . (AP Photo/Seth Wenig).. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Anne Cuozzo, 37, who has lived across the street from the Schulers for seven years, said, We never saw [Diane] drunk. "Little Brian is doing good," said a family friend, who asked not to be named. It could have been any family that day, but it was my husband's and this is his story. Hes suicidal, Dominic Barbara said of Schuler. to us that she told him Schuler had been drinking or smoking, Chiumento said. 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. 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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2013. This made me instantly suspect that there were marital troubles. 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. Also on Thursday, State Police investigators also went to Long Island for a pre-arranged interview with the Hance family and their representatives. 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. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Friends said she smoked marijuana at night to help her sleep but that Schuler showed no signs of alcoholism. Caption on the attached picture is: Daniel Schuler, left, arrives at the offices of attorney Dominic Barbara, right, in Garden City, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. No one appears to grieve for his baby daughter who was also killed. A heartwrenching account of a son's search for answers into the accident that took the lives of his father and brother along with six others. Weve updated the security on the site. Update: Diane's mom Eileen died in Oct.2013. The collision occurred after the troubled West Babylon resident drove south for 1.7 miles in the northbound lanes of the Taconic Parkway. 3809 Main Street Warrensburg, New York 12885. Finally, Daniel Schuler recently stated that his wife wasnt a drinker and suggested that perhaps diabetes or other health problems were to blame. The sadness of course is that no-one will ever know exactly what happened in the days leading up to and following the crash. If he knew his wife was a heavy drinker or a functioning alcoholic, why did he let her drive a van full of kids? He also alleges in his lawsuit that the Chevy Trailblazer the family had borrowed from his brother-in-law Warren Hance, was faulty. I think what was really going on was that they were so much in grief and were just not able to come forward. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. What I found was a book that created conflicting emotions for me. cemeteries found in Westbury, Nassau County, New York, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Two hours later, Schuler plowed into an oncoming SUV, killing herself, her daughter, her brother's three little girls - and three others in the other vehicle. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Officials tell New York press that Diane Schuler's blood alcohol was .19, nearly twice the legal limit.. Robert Guzzo, whose wife lost relatives in the crash, tells press today: Schuler, 36, was driving her brother's Ford minivan home to West Babylon, L.I., after a camping trip in upstate Sullivan County when she somehow entered the Taconic State Parkway on the wrong ramp. for more information visit taconictragedy.us. I pray that both the Bastardi and Hance families find the peace they are looking for. An eye opener for all. Had she sought help, the tragedy might have been averted. Judging from Daniel Schulers recent pictures and the one (attached here) where hes walking and talking with a lawyer, he seems like a guy whos protecting himself from lawsuits. Days later came the headlines; "Wrong Way Crash Mom Drunk and High!". You really get a sense of the family's grief, particularly the son who lost his father and brother. This sounds like what might have happened to Diane Schuler. However justice died with Diane. The Schulers 5-year-old son, Bryan, who was the only survivor of the crash, has been moved out of the intensive-care unit at Westchester Medical Center, a source said. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. C.J. Every theory has a credible source. 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. They are two of the greatest people the world will ever have known. "This is a road she could have done blindfolded," she said. The car contained her own two kids and three nieces. According to her obituary, she doesn't appear to have been married at the time. Scott also said Schuler appeared sober the morning she drove away with the kids and was not known to have boozed at the site. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. HAWTHORNEAs the family of Diane Schuler is now claiming that autopsy results on her body are not accurate and that an underlying medical condition may have caused her to have the crash that killed eight people including herself, Westchester County Medical Examiner Dr. Millard Hyland said he stands by those findings. Diane's husband lied to her and said he was going to the camper a day early but it was discovered that he did not. 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This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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.. Written after viewing the notes her husband Michael was keeping, the book is based on his story detailing the drunken driving accident that drew worldwide attention. Failed to delete memorial. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. "His wife was drunk and high at the time of the accident that killed seven innocent people. "It's a terrible tragedy," Tom Ruskin, who was hired by the Schulers to investigate the accident, told the Post. Meanwhile, her husband, Daniel Schuler, was in another vehicle. We would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with someone who might jeopardize their safety. Evidence that proves Diane Schuler did not take alcohol or drugs. Diane Schuler was a 36-year-old woman from New York. based on information from your browser. Thanks for your help! The email does not appear to be a valid email address. A sister-in-law of Diane Schuler, whose horrific wrong-way drunken driving crash on the Taconic Parkway two years ago killed eight people . Make sure that the file is a photo. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The day of the accident, Schuler likely was stressed about running late and tried to ease her physical pain with alcohol and marijuana, which led to disorientation and dissociation. s.24: "She stated that the driver was not swerving". I've never written this long of a review but I had to get this off my chest. Schuler, a 36-year-old Long Island mother of two, was at the wheel, drunk and high, headed south at 70 mph in the northbound lane. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? There is a problem with your email/password. Anne Cuozzo, 37, who has lived across the street from the Schulers for seven years, said, We never saw [Diane] drunk. Schulers wife Diane was drunk and high on marijuana when she drove the wrong way for almost two miles on a highway before smashing head-on into an SUV, killing herself and seven others, a prosecutor said. Any person who was aware that she was drinking is an accomplice, said Irving Anolik, lawyer for the Bastardi and Longo families. She refused to participate in the documentary and is now pregnant after in vitro fertilization, due in September. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Long Island mother Diane Schuler was stoned and drunk when she plowed into the Bastardis` SUV, going the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway. said "People suffer in silence.". It even offers a theory as to why in the aftermath of the crash despite there being three families claiming to want the truth, in the end only the Bastardis actually meant what they said. The campground owner said nothing seemed amiss. 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. "Wrong way Mom Drunk and High". I wish there was a more in-depth written study of this case. always there for me. The Bastardi family are right in wanting justice. He said Diane Schuler took the five children in her car that day because everyone trusts her with kids . What happened next i. Her aunt is the only person who even mentions her. Her marriage seemed a bit rocky, and I think she felt trapped by it, the friend said of Schulers relationship with her husband, Daniel, a Nassau County public-safety officer. Friends may call on Eileens family from 12-2 pm, Thursday, October 10, 2013 at Alexander-Baker Funeral Home, 3809 Main Street, Warrensburg. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Toxicology reports showed she had a blood alcohol level of .19 over twice the legal limit . Diane Schuler, 30 who died in the wrong-way crash on the Taconic Parkway recently seemed under pressure, like work and family were getting to her, said the pal, Sheila, who asked that her last name be withheld. Psychiatrist Bursztajn said Schuler was the worst kind of perfectionist who learned to self medicate. Box 20795 Floral Park, NY 11002 or at www.hancefamilyfoundation.org. Schuler, a manager in Cablevisions accounting department, would suck down screwdrivers at a Long Island saloon, where she was a regular the past few years and usually came by herself, her pal said, adding: I wouldnt say she was an alcoholic, but she liked her drinks. 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. Schuler entered the wrong side of the Taconic Parkway, then drove at 70 mph for nearly two miles. Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2013. . Try again later. I should say at the outset that this book is not a slick, polished piece of prose. There are so many bizzare theories and conjecture that seem to have been fabricated from midair by Daniel's lawyer and his felonious PI. Eileen was in town with close friends for the Worlds Largest Garage Sale. But there is a small possibility that he wasnt aware of his wifes drinking, since some functioning alcoholics are very good at hiding their drinking. Besides her parents, she is predeceased by her daughter, Diane E. Hance-Schuler, granddaughters, Erin M. Schuler, Emma, Alyson, and Kate Hance. It might have been that she didnt even smoke pot that day. Small children, because they are so tied to . 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 . My love for my father and brother, Guy, will continue to be as strong as it has been my entire life. "I'm still numbed," said neighbor Joseph O'Donald, 79. Warren John Hance 1938 - 2021. Schuler stopped at a gas station looking for fast-acting pain medication -- perhaps for an untreated tooth abscess, the film speculates -- and might have tried to kill the pain with a bottle of vodka that the Schulers carried with them on vacation trips. I found the book impossible to put down, and although at present there does not seem to be an end to the story, I still found it very interesting and of course extremely sad. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The writing is very basic but gets the point across. Year should not be greater than current year. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Dog Ear Publishing, LLC (August 23, 2011). Diane was an accomplished working mother who balanced her responsibilities . 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.