Update: Diane's mom Eileen died in Oct.2013. Theres no way my husband would abandon me in order to go fishing or go home to conclude a family camping trip. . Every adult in this book handled their grief in varying ways but I found it distasteful that the four little girls who perished are largely ignored and the author goes on to trash Jackie Hance who is suicidal but tries to do some good with the money people donated. Torrington, CT and Stony Creek: First breach in picture of Schuler as untroubled "All of us are very, very sad for the loss of the little girls, and our hearts go out to the family," she said. 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. The Long Island mother was driving home from a camping trip when she got on the Taconic and drove nearly two miles in the wrong direction before plowing head-on into an SUV. I read Jackie Hance's beautifully written memoire of her heartbreaking and unimaginable loss of her three little girls before I read this. This is the story of the infamous Taconic Parkway crash but if you're reading this review then you already knew that. Scott also said Schuler appeared sober the morning she drove away with the kids and was not known to have boozed at the site. "When people feel burdened and depressed and hopeless," she said, "it's not shameful to reach out and get help. Only one child survived the crash when the mini van collided head on with a SUV driven by Guy Bastardi. LOVING WIFE AND MOTHER DIANE E NOV 13, 1972 - JULY 26, 2009 DADDYS LITTLE GIRL BEAUTIFUL BABY SISTER . The minivan plunged downhill and burst into flames as the SUV was pushed across two lanes and struck by another SUV. There is no greater pain than having lost my father and brother from the senseless act of a drunk driver. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Fatal N.Y. wrong-way crash relatives still seek truth. Also on Thursday, State Police investigators also went to Long Island for a pre-arranged interview with the Hance family and their representatives. This sounds to me like a classic case of a closet alcoholic. I think it does however give an insight into the less publicized victims of the tragedy; Guy and Michael Bastardi Sr. 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: It could have been any family that day, but it was my husband's and this is his story. "At this point in our investigation, we don't know what caused the operator of the vehicle to go the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway," said Capt. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Try again later. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. They are two of the greatest people the world will ever have known. 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. Diane Schuler The "Perfect Mom" Drove Her Van Full Of Kids Into A Head-On Collision For Unknown Reasons. Diane Schuler: The Minivan crash that kills a woman and - gudstory.com By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, HENRICK KAROLISZYN, Edgar Sandoval and SAMUEL GOLDSMITH, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. So she could've smoked the night before or the week before and been sober the morning she drove home and she would still test positive. Because we have never known Diane to be anything but a responsible and caring mother and aunt, this toxicology report raises more questions than it provides answers for the accident., Jackies mom, Phyllis Spagnuolo, told The Post, The Hance family had no idea of what went on on the other side of the family. Garbus attempts to piece together the psychological puzzle of Schuler's state of mind before the 2009 accident, one of the worst in state history. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Immediately after the accident, people involved begin to act very oddly. She was described as a protective mother's helper and the best mother's assistance ever. News of Schulers alcohol and drug abuse is a crushing blow, said her family, including her brother, Warren Hance, and his wife, Jackie, whose three young daughters died in the crash. 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. 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. Floral Park, Nassau County, New York, USA, Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, New York, USA. "Something was wrong. 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. People who knew her reported her to be a devoted mother and wife, and a credit to her job. These kids are in the valley of heaven.". Resend Activation Email. On July 26, 2009 Diane Schuler killed herself and seven others when she drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway. She left the campground on that day with all five children in the Ford Windstar owned by her brother. 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. "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. Most likely. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Eileen K. McKeough, 69, of Torrington, CT, passed away unexpectedly, Sunday, October 5, 2013 after being stricken at the home of her brother, Joe in Stony Creek. Had she sought help, the tragedy might have been averted. Diane was a 36-year-old account executive, bringing home around $100,000 at the time of the crash. Diane Schuler: How The Perfect Mom Killed Eight In A Head-On Collision Husband of Taconic Crash's Diane Schuler Sues N.Y. State Add to your scrapbook. There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane - Page 2 - PRIMETIMER But who knows what really happens behind closed doors?. But when Diane was a child, her mother Eileen left the family. Also, to my knowledge its impossible to tell from a drug test HOW LONG AGO someone smoked weed. Schuler had entered the highway on an exit rampway and drove two miles in the wrong lane. And it would be reasonable to ask that Daniel Shueler not profit from the acts of his wife that day. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Jackie Hance Suicide Taconic State Parkway Mom - Hollywood Life 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. Look inside to read what others have shared. "For someone like Diane, they try harder and harder and they will never be satisfied with being good enough," he said. Additional reporting by Amber Sutherland, Rebecca Rosenberg, Kieran Crowley, Perry Chiaramonte and Larry Celona. After all this, she enters an exit the wrong way and drives for almost two miles narrowly missing countless other vehicles until that terrible final collision. 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. I cannot fathom the pain the Bastardi family went through with losing a father and brother. In the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, 74-year-old Dan Longo, 81-year-old Michael Bastardi, and his 49-year-old son Guy were killed instantly. "She was very good at her job, and she was a take-charge person, too.". One little boy (her son) survived with life altering injuries. I've never written this long of a review but I had to get this off my chest. The Hances were Diane Schulers family. After crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge headed into Westchester County, Schuler called her brother to say she felt disoriented and was having trouble seeing. He also alleges in his lawsuit that the Chevy Trailblazer the family had borrowed from his brother-in-law Warren Hance, was faulty. The Diane Schuler Case - The State Vs. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. She was high on marijuana and had the equivalent of 10 shots of booze in her stomach. For nearly two miles, Schuler was driving the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway. As mentioned by the source, Diane was driving a red 2003 Ford Windstar that belonged to her brother. Make sure that the file is a photo. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. After studying and watching and thinking that the most simple answer is likely the real answer I posit this. I looked at the title and wondered if the Bastardi family were able to find answers not in Jackie's book. Diane Schuler killed seven innocent people. Had she lived she'd be in jail on second degree murder charges. 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. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. WED WOES DROVE CRASH MA TO DRINK - New York Post This is the story of the infamous Taconic Parkway crash but if you're reading this review then you already knew that. Why wasnt he helping out? Box 20795 Floral Park, NY 11002 or at www.hancefamilyfoundation.org. I had built up a tolerance to a rather high blood alcohol content and without it, I was much less functional. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Recommended. On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York. What went wrong with Aunt Diane? Anne Cuozzo, 37, who has lived across the street from the Schulers for seven years, said, We never saw [Diane] drunk. 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. Just wishing it was not true does not change anything. During that call, Hance spoke with one of his daughters, but he never indicated to us that she told him Schuler had been drinking or smoking, Chiumento said. Diane Schuler was a 36-year-old woman from New York. Please reset your password. There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane - any recent updates? What happened next i. I wish there was a more in-depth written study of this case. Information The Documentary Didn't Provide and Questions That Need 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. What I struggle with is the anger they have towards the Hance family. You don't keep suing peopleIf she was alive today, Diane would likely be in jail.". Diane Schuler | Taconic State Parkway Killer | Mental Health to us that she told him Schuler had been drinking or smoking, Chiumento said. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Those closest to her say she hid the pain of her mother's abandonment. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. She warns that not all those who have upsets in life will end up like Schuler. He alleges the highway was badly designed and inadequately sign-posted, which enabled his wife to drive the wrong way into traffic, according to the New York Post. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Diane Schuler (240061915)? Here is the article that the NY Magazine reporter did. Daniel Schuler has maintained a round-the-clock vigil at Bryans bedside since the crash. Today marks the two year anniversary of the tragedy, and now, an HBO documentary, "There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane," asks if Diane Schuler's obsessive perfectionism may have contributed to the crash. 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. This condition would account Diane's apparent lack of prior alcoholic behaviors. 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)? A 1.75-liter bottle of Absolut was found in Schuler's 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. According to her obituary, she doesn't appear to have been married at the time. As panicked motorists swerved out of her way, she continued for almost two miles. Witnesses said her driving was not erratic but rather she drove deliberately down the fast lane with determined eyes. Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018. Jackie wrote about her anger and rage at Diane for "murdering" her girls when the toxicoligy reports came out. Diane, her daughter, and two of her nieces died immediately upon impact. Also, at McDonald's she buys two large cokes. A sister-in-law of Diane Schuler, whose horrific wrong-way drunken driving crash on the Taconic Parkway two years ago killed eight people . Witnesses said her van weaved in and out of lanes traveling down the New York State Thruway and the cries of children were heard in the car in a telephone call to her brother along the way. "She seemed to be good at whatever she attempted," her friend, Sue Troccoli, said. This sounds like what might have happened to Diane Schuler. Eileen leaves behind three sons, Warren, John and David; two brothers, Joseph and Michael; her sister, Kathleen Doerrie; and grandchildren, Byran Schuler, and Melanie, Kasey, and Willa Hance. Warren Hance told his sister, Diane Schuler, to pull over and wait for him to pick them up. November 24, 2009 8:26pm. Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2013. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. On that bright sunny day 10 years ago, families were shattered in a fiery crash that killed . Diane Schuler's husband did not buy any of these police reports. I disagree and found the book reveals the helplessness that her family feel at losing loved ones at the hand of a proven drunk and drugged driver, and their pain at not being able to get the answers they deserve. In the end it changes nothing. She didnt just wake up one morning with a drug problem and capable of drinking that much alcohol. Anolik spoke to reporters after a morning meeting with the Westchester County district attorney. Police said at least six separate witnesses called 911 to report a van driving the wrong way. 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. 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. This story has been shared 170,718 times. Psychiatrist Bursztajn said Schuler was the worst kind of perfectionist who learned to self medicate. "I made many efforts," her mother, Eileen, tells me. Indeed, they said, she hardly drank. People who knew Schuler said she was a stable, devoted and trustworthy mother, not someone who would put others, especially her children, at risk. She drove south in the left lane for 1.7 miles before smashing into the Chevy Trailblazer driven by Guy Bastardi, 49. Michael Realmuto of the state police. Most experts ruled out suicide. 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