Mother who caused head on collision that killed 8... - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

mrklixx · 08-09-2009, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewels

Although you still haven't stated your opinion in answer to the OP, it's not difficult to read between the lines.

So, you are willing to read between the lines and speculate on it even though there are no real facts?

Tully Mars · 08-09-2009, 08:00 AM

First, I'm with other's in that I highly doubt BAC was determined via a Breathalyzer. But how they came up with the BAC isn't really important.

Second, I'd be a hard sell on the suicide theory. Took herself, four members (children) of her own family and three other people out by doing a head-on... after driving how many miles the wrong way? Females don't normally commit suicide via violent methods. I think the stats say poison/overdose is the leading, by far, cause of female suicide. I didn't know her, don't know all the facts so I could be wrong but it doesn't sound right to me.

Third, facts are not debatable nor are they public opinion... true. But people make mistakes on tests, happens all the time. Is it possible the BAC and the THC (had marijuana in her system too, right?) tests were both botched? Yeah, could happen but unless they just mixed up her samples with someone else's I don't see that as very likely. Messing up on one test seems highly more likely then screwing up two.

So I don't know what to make of it. Articles like This seem to be full of contradictions. She was fine an hour before the crash then had 10 drinks and smoked some pot before the crash? Was she driving down the road binge drinking and toking? Could happen, I've pulled people over and found a half empty bottle in their lap and warm blunt in the ash tray. Seems odd to me she would engage in these behaviors with her child and three nieces in the vehicle.

I hope the family gets the private autopsy and for their sake I hope they take their own tissue samples.

Until the tests, which seem to be in question, are redone I vote "Don't know" When independent tests are done I might be willing to change my vote.

mrklixx · 08-09-2009, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tully Mars

So I don't know what to make of it. Articles like This seem to be full of contradictions. She was fine an hour before the crash then had 10 drinks and smoked some pot before the crash?

Actually, the article says that she was "fine", based on the attentiveness of the McDonalds employees, prior to 10:30 am. The crash occurred around 1:30 pm. And in a phone call at 1:02 pm "Schuler's 8-year-old niece told her father that Schuler wasn't feeling well and had trouble seeing and speaking."

G5_Todd · 08-09-2009, 09:25 AM

a couple of quick points...

yes the BAC is a fact and it was taken directly from blood so its a more accurate reading than what you would get from just a breath sample...

and driving for driving the wrong way on the highway....i might have forgot to mention that she drove the wrong way for about 2 miles before crashing...i could see driving he wrong way for 50 feet maybe even 300 feet....but two miles...

---------- Post added at 01:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:15 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrklixx

Actually, the article says that she was "fine", based on the attentiveness of the McDonalds employees, prior to 10:30 am. The crash occurred around 1:30 pm. And in a phone call at 1:02 pm "Schuler's 8-year-old niece told her father that Schuler wasn't feeling well and had trouble seeing and speaking."

ive dealt with people that wittnessed accidents thought the person seemed fine in talking with them and turned out to be a .16% BAC, an untrained eye my not pick up on the signs that a trained professional with experience dealing with dwi's would notice...and she prolly wasnt that drunk yet...she coulda been a .08 at the time she was at mcdonalds or even a .00, 3 hours would be plenty to reach a .19% ive reached a .17% in four hours and i wasnt even throwing them back...

trouble seeing and speaking would be a classic sign of impairment due to alcoholic beverage consumption....in training for looking for impaired drivers officers are told a sign would be someone leaning forward in there seat with there face closer to the windshield

Cynthetiq · 08-09-2009, 06:46 PM

yet another wrong way driver.

Quote:

Update: Wrong-way driver was elderly woman | lohud.com | The Journal News

Update: Wrong-way driver was elderly woman

By Christine Pizzuti • cpizzuti@lohud.com • August 9, 2009

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TARRYTOWN — A wrong-way driver who was briefly pursued by police on the Tappan Zee Bridge this morning was an elderly woman who accidentally entered the off-ramp from the highway.

Advertisement

State police in Tarrytown said the 76-year-old Irvington woman entered the highway from the Exit 9 off-ramp, causing her to travel north in the southbound lanes of the bridge.

Police said the woman had missed her turn before entering Interstate 87. She went through the tolls heading in the wrong direction at about 9 a.m., which is when other motorists started calling police.

The tolls have no bars — just lights.

The woman had made it about two miles and into the Rockland County side of the bridge by the time she was stopped by police. She told police she was aware she had been driving the wrong way, but kept going because she thought there would be a place to make a U-turn.

The woman, who police might identify later today in a press release, received tickets for improperly entering a highway, driving in the wrong direction and reckless driving.

Police expect to order her to take a driving improvement course with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Police said the woman did not appear to be on any medication that would have altered her perception.

On Sunday, July 26, Long Island resident Diane Schuler left her cell phone near the bridge before driving a van carrying her three nieces and own two children the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway.

Schuler crashed head-on into an SUV carrying three men from Yonkers, all of whom died. Everyone in the van, except Schuler's 5-year-old son, died as well.

Flinx · 08-10-2009, 06:41 AM

I was tempted not to type my opinion in.
I'm undecided, I'd certainly want to see the second autopsy before jumping on either bandwagon for a few reasons.

1) Labs make mistakes, more then the general public would believe (personal sources and experiences), for a few years now I've had major tests ran at different labs when it involves me or my family. The ME doesn't usually run the tests, he or she take the samples bundles them up and ships them to a lab (at least thats the procedure where I live).

2) After almost 2 decades of running the highways and byways for a living I've seen people drive down major roads and highways the wrong way more times then I'd want to count. And yes sometimes I've helped pickup the pieces and testify in court as to what I saw and did. Actually I almost did it myself once because of a misplaced sign when a road was under going some repairs.

3) Yes most women tend to suicide with drugs/poison (according to statistics anyways) but who is to say she didn't just snap because of something that happened on the way to where she was going?

4) Drinking that much AND doing drugs and then driving on a highway with not only her own children but her nieces as well makes me just a bit skeptical, not nearly enough to rule it out mind you but it does raise a flag in my mind.

5) Why would she leave her cell phone behind like that? Or did I just misread something? "On Sunday, July 26, Long Island resident Diane Schuler left her cell phone near the bridge before driving a van carrying her three nieces and own two children the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway."

I dunno, if I was on a jury with this case with the evidence so far presented I doubt if I could make a decision.

Schwan · 08-10-2009, 08:01 AM

I like the suicide theory. She could have been drunk and all, but there were 4 other people with her, albeit kids.

Dang, that's a nice road.

Speed_Gibson · 08-10-2009, 08:19 PM

What a terrible story to read about, never had heard of it before tonight.

yournamehere · 08-11-2009, 08:03 AM

From USA Today:
A half-hour before the crash, Schuler pulled over to call her brother, Warren Hance, and said she was feeling disoriented and had trouble seeing. Hance said he told her to stay put and he would drive to her. Schuler drove off, leaving her cellphone at the roadside stop. Instead of heading south, toward home, she drove north.

Witnesses interviewed by police indicate Schuler may have been the woman whom other drivers had reported seeing before the crash. Police had received calls from drivers complaining of a woman in a red minivan filled with kids driving on Route 17 and also on Interstate 87. Callers complained the vehicle was "straddling two lanes, tailgating, flashing its headlights and beeping the horn."

Seems a little fishy to me. Granted, if she called her brother, she should have taken his advice and stayed put. But drunks and stoners don't call relatives to report they're not feeling well. It may seem a little far-fetched, but I'd check if she might have stopped along the way home for some refreshments that got laced by some employees who thought it might be funny to get some soccer mom stoned. Other reports indicate she was diabetic, and the symptoms she described could be attributed to hypoglycemia. She was obviously showing bad judgment by flashing her lights and honking her horn to get attention, instead of just pulling over and waiting for help. Perhaps she was hoping she could get someone to stop and call for help, realizing she left her cell phone at the rest stop.

In any case, it's a tragedy for everyone involved.

G5_Todd · 08-11-2009, 10:03 AM

it certainly would be possible for her to unknowningly consume something that had been laced with thc....but to drink the amount of alcohol that she consumed unknowningly would be impossible....and they found a bottle of vodka in the van...

its a mystery for sure

Cynthetiq · 08-14-2009, 07:31 AM

maybe she was going to go to sleep while driving?????

TACONIC CRASH MOM, DIANE SCHULER'S FAMILY KNEW SHE SMOKED MARIJUANA - New York Post

Quote:

CRASH MA WAS A TOKER

By KIERAN CROWLEY and GINGER ADAMS OTIS

August 14, 2009 --

Her family knew she was a pothead.

Deadly wrong-way driver Diane Schuler relied on marijuana to fall asleep, her family told People magazine in an exclusive interview.

Brother-in-law Jimmy Schuler insists the Long Island mom of two was practically a teetotaler, though he says the family was aware she used pot when she couldn't sleep.

"I made the daiquiris at family parties, and if she tasted alcohol, she'd say, 'Throw it out and try again,' " he said.

He and Schuler family friends continue to deny that Diane, 36, had substance-abuse problems -- despite toxicology reports that show she was smashed on booze and had recently smoked pot when the minivan she was driving crashed head-on into an SUV on the Taconic State Parkway on July 26.

Killed in the collision were Diane, her daughter, Erin, 2, and three nieces, Emma, 8, Alyson, 7 and Kate 5. Three men in the SUV also died.

Roseann Guzzo -- whose father, Michael Bastardi, and brother, Guy Bastardi, died in the SUV -- was shocked to hear of Diane's marijuana habit.

"Oh, my God," she gasped yesterday at her late father's Westchester house where she was packing up his clothes. "I can't believe it."

She dismissed attempts by Diane's husband, Daniel, and his lawyer, Dominic Barbara, to blame Diane's toxicology results on a stroke-like attack, a mystery lump in her leg and other bizarre medical theories.

Toxicology reports show Diane had a blood-alcohol content of 0.19 and 113 nanograms per milliliter of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, in her system.

"To find that large a quantity in the blood indicates someone very recently smoked or ingested THC -- like 10 minutes before dying," said toxicology expert Alan Donelson.

The effect of that much marijuana coupled with 10 shots of vodka -- the amount toxicologists believe Diane drank -- would be totally debilitating, he said.

"We're talking gross incapacitation," he said.

Gov. Paterson yesterday submitted legislation to increase penalties motorists who drive while intoxicated with children in the car.

Tully Mars · 08-14-2009, 09:32 AM

Interesting but doesn't explain the BAC. No word on a second, independent autopsy?

Cynthetiq · 08-14-2009, 09:59 AM

No, nothing as of yet.

Tully Mars · 08-14-2009, 10:05 AM

Not even word if they can get one done?

Seems like if they really wanted one they could get one. I mean I don't know that. But now that it's come out that people knew she toked, maybe they don't want one. Might just prove they're wrong. Then they won't be able to claim it was botched.

View Poll Results: Do you believe she actually wasn't under the influence of any drugs or alcohol?
Yes, she wasn't under the influence of alcohol or drugs. IMHO	2	6.45%
No, she must have been wasted. IMHO	15	48.39%
Dunno, not enough information.	14	45.16%
Voters: 31. You may not vote on this poll

08-09-2009, 08:00 AM	#42 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	First, I'm with other's in that I highly doubt BAC was determined via a Breathalyzer. But how they came up with the BAC isn't really important. Second, I'd be a hard sell on the suicide theory. Took herself, four members (children) of her own family and three other people out by doing a head-on... after driving how many miles the wrong way? Females don't normally commit suicide via violent methods. I think the stats say poison/overdose is the leading, by far, cause of female suicide. I didn't know her, don't know all the facts so I could be wrong but it doesn't sound right to me. Third, facts are not debatable nor are they public opinion... true. But people make mistakes on tests, happens all the time. Is it possible the BAC and the THC (had marijuana in her system too, right?) tests were both botched? Yeah, could happen but unless they just mixed up her samples with someone else's I don't see that as very likely. Messing up on one test seems highly more likely then screwing up two. So I don't know what to make of it. Articles like This seem to be full of contradictions. She was fine an hour before the crash then had 10 drinks and smoked some pot before the crash? Was she driving down the road binge drinking and toking? Could happen, I've pulled people over and found a half empty bottle in their lap and warm blunt in the ash tray. Seems odd to me she would engage in these behaviors with her child and three nieces in the vehicle. I hope the family gets the private autopsy and for their sake I hope they take their own tissue samples. Until the tests, which seem to be in question, are redone I vote "Don't know" When independent tests are done I might be willing to change my vote. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

08-10-2009, 08:19 PM	#48 (permalink)
Speed_Gibson Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Location: right here of course	What a terrible story to read about, never had heard of it before tonight. __________________ Started talking to yourself I see. Yes, it's the only way I can be certain of an intelligent conversation. Black Adder

08-11-2009, 08:03 AM	#49 (permalink)
yournamehere Invisible Location: tentative, at best	From USA Today: A half-hour before the crash, Schuler pulled over to call her brother, Warren Hance, and said she was feeling disoriented and had trouble seeing. Hance said he told her to stay put and he would drive to her. Schuler drove off, leaving her cellphone at the roadside stop. Instead of heading south, toward home, she drove north. Witnesses interviewed by police indicate Schuler may have been the woman whom other drivers had reported seeing before the crash. Police had received calls from drivers complaining of a woman in a red minivan filled with kids driving on Route 17 and also on Interstate 87. Callers complained the vehicle was "straddling two lanes, tailgating, flashing its headlights and beeping the horn." Seems a little fishy to me. Granted, if she called her brother, she should have taken his advice and stayed put. But drunks and stoners don't call relatives to report they're not feeling well. It may seem a little far-fetched, but I'd check if she might have stopped along the way home for some refreshments that got laced by some employees who thought it might be funny to get some soccer mom stoned. Other reports indicate she was diabetic, and the symptoms she described could be attributed to hypoglycemia. She was obviously showing bad judgment by flashing her lights and honking her horn to get attention, instead of just pulling over and waiting for help. Perhaps she was hoping she could get someone to stop and call for help, realizing she left her cell phone at the rest stop. In any case, it's a tragedy for everyone involved. __________________ If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors: "If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too." It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

08-11-2009, 10:03 AM	#50 (permalink)
G5_Todd Junkie Location: Reichstag	it certainly would be possible for her to unknowningly consume something that had been laced with thc....but to drink the amount of alcohol that she consumed unknowningly would be impossible....and they found a bottle of vodka in the van... its a mystery for sure __________________ "....and when you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." -General Franks

08-10-2009, 06:41 AM	#46 (permalink)
Flinx Tilted Location: Canada	I was tempted not to type my opinion in. I'm undecided, I'd certainly want to see the second autopsy before jumping on either bandwagon for a few reasons. 1) Labs make mistakes, more then the general public would believe (personal sources and experiences), for a few years now I've had major tests ran at different labs when it involves me or my family. The ME doesn't usually run the tests, he or she take the samples bundles them up and ships them to a lab (at least thats the procedure where I live). 2) After almost 2 decades of running the highways and byways for a living I've seen people drive down major roads and highways the wrong way more times then I'd want to count. And yes sometimes I've helped pickup the pieces and testify in court as to what I saw and did. Actually I almost did it myself once because of a misplaced sign when a road was under going some repairs. 3) Yes most women tend to suicide with drugs/poison (according to statistics anyways) but who is to say she didn't just snap because of something that happened on the way to where she was going? 4) Drinking that much AND doing drugs and then driving on a highway with not only her own children but her nieces as well makes me just a bit skeptical, not nearly enough to rule it out mind you but it does raise a flag in my mind. 5) Why would she leave her cell phone behind like that? Or did I just misread something? "On Sunday, July 26, Long Island resident Diane Schuler left her cell phone near the bridge before driving a van carrying her three nieces and own two children the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway." I dunno, if I was on a jury with this case with the evidence so far presented I doubt if I could make a decision.

08-10-2009, 08:01 AM	#47 (permalink)
Schwan A boy and his dog Location: EU!	I like the suicide theory. She could have been drunk and all, but there were 4 other people with her, albeit kids. Dang, that's a nice road.

08-14-2009, 09:32 AM	#52 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	Interesting but doesn't explain the BAC. No word on a second, independent autopsy? __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

08-14-2009, 09:59 AM	#53 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	No, nothing as of yet. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

08-14-2009, 10:05 AM	#54 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	Not even word if they can get one done? Seems like if they really wanted one they could get one. I mean I don't know that. But now that it's come out that people knew she toked, maybe they don't want one. Might just prove they're wrong. Then they won't be able to claim it was botched. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club