A final autopsy report shows Diane Schuler was drunk -- and there was no evidence of other medical conditions that explain the deadly crash. Severe low blood sugar is below 54 mg/dL, 2. One minute later, 911 operators received four more calls, this time reporting a similar van driving the wrong way down the parkway at 80 miles per hour. But later reports revealed a statement made by Daniels sister that claimed she smoked on a regular basis. I really dont know. Diane Schuler was a 36-year-old Long Island woman who tragically killed herself and seven others in a fiery wrong- way car crash on the Taconic State Parkway in New York in 2009. Um yeah there are. And police have more help these days. Arthur Boyko of Troop K. The ages of the victims and the nature of the accident made it harder.. I feel like her vomiting and erratic behavior was caused by DTs. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. it is all a chain reaction. Schulers 5-year-old son, Bryan, was the sole survivor of the accident. At the end of the documentary, Ruskin states that he had called her months ago with the results and that she refused to pick up her phone. WOW!!! Diane's son survived the accident with several injuries and the passengers in the Tracker suffered minor injuries. It specifically does NOT state alcohol. Blunt force trauma is the initial trauma (the immediate impact from the collision) from which develops more specific types such as bruises, abrasions, lacerations and/or bone fractures. The Westchester County medical examiners office, which performed the autopsy, said that the degradation of the fluids over time was likely to result in lowered alcohol and THC readings; however, several toxicology experts said that the results should be similar to the previous test if the fluid samples had been properly stored. There's a simple reason for that:"The vast majority of wrong-way collisions" are head-on, the NTSB noted. #inline-recirc-item--id-d466033c-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-d466033c-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Its also worth noting that if this were true then Diane Schuler is one rare unlucky woman. Daniel also revealed that his wife smoked marijuana occasionally but never to excess and only for insomnia. Frantic drivers flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a red minivan heading the wrong way down the parkway. One of the saddest news stories of the summer just got sadder the husband of Diane Schuler, whose wrong-way drunk-driving crash killed her and seven others, tells New York Magazine he still . Unfortunately this happened to one of us while she was driving. This is neither here nor there, but two things: Hot and humid weather. She's seen becoming visibly ill. She gets shitfaced to work up the courage and to offer a reason for the crash as an accident vs a simple suicide. While at the gas station, she attempted to buy over-the-counter pain medication, but the store did not sell any. Documents released Friday show that Schuler pulled over twice prior to the crash, where she was seen "bent over as if she was sick" at 11:45 a.m., and again 30 minutes later, outside the van, "like she's getting sick," WCBS reports. There were lawsuits and later, sealed settlements against Schuler's estate. During this call, one of Schulers nieces reportedly told her father that Schuler was having trouble seeing and speaking clearly. The combination of drug and alcohol intoxication creates even more issues. ******If you dont drink enough water with alcohol, you can become dehydrated quickly.********. When the body goes through a massive trauma such as Diane did in the car accident, the body cells release a high amount of potassium. My exes issue was revealed when he a) got caught drinking at work and, on the same day, b) when I forced him to go to therapy to discuss what I thought was severe anxiety/depression and he revealed the problem to his therapist. Someone needs to pass along this info to the family because its very likely Diane had this more so than a good mother drinking 10 cups of alcohol before driving with children in the car! Her own son, the only survivor, stated many times Mommys head hurt and she could not see. This is not being drunk. According to Tom Ruskin, an investigator hired by Daniel Schuler, no McDonalds employees saw any signs of intoxication in Diane Schuler, although she engaged in extended conversation there while ordering food. I was about to suggest the same thing. 2. Diane Schuler killed herself and 7 others that day. Panicked calls to 911 poured in immediately following the accident. Just because her family, who admitted she drinks and smokes marijuana, doesnt want to believe she was driving under the influence does not make this a mystery. For some reason, both times, I called my son and he talked me into pulling over. Investigators noted that the toxicology report lined up with the vodka bottle found at the scene. if in fact she had been a hidden drinker there are factors also present which triggered her to start comfortably drinking in the first place. And he never got his son any kind of counseling. "But they are much more likely to result in fatal and serious injuries than are other types of highway accidents.". Many depressed people turn to substances to cope. At 1:33 PM, two drivers called 911 after noticing Schulers van edging onto the northbound exit ramp of the Taconic State Parkway near Briarcliff Manor, New York. I thought it might be early-onset Parkinsons or severe anxiety or, yes, that auto-brewers thing. Schuler had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 at the time of the accident, and her family has long insisted that she was not a drunk driver. The documents were released to the families of the three Yonkers, N.Y. men who died when Diane Schuler smashed her minivan full of children head-on into their SUV. The Journal News. Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged. The occupants of a third vehicle sustained minor injuries. Crash Mom Was Trashed. Schuler, her two-year-old daughter and three nieces were killed in the crash along with the three men in the other vehicle. I would like to suggest a possibility. Diane Schuler was able to do so. Um, honestly. . Daniel, announced that Diane Schuler's body would be exhumed at her family's request. Please, please relay this information to the family if you know them. Her husband was in a deep denial bcos he was desperate to protect her reputation. He and his dad, Michael, and their family friend, Daniel Longo, were heading to Yorktown Heights for a family Sunday pasta dinner with family. Schuler drove nearly twomiles in the wrong direction until, at 1:35 p.m., she hit aSUV driven by Guy Bastardi of Yonkers. A crash like that shines a spotlight on all future wrong-way crashes and arrests, the investigator said. Susan Watts/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images. Also, one thing I noticed was Danny said they had breakfast at the campground. The fact that witnesses all say she was totally sober etc. He drove our infant children 20 miles home from daycare every day. actually that is not true. Then Barbara told Larry King that they planned to exhume Diane's body for further testing. Witnesses even stated that she was focused eyes dead ahead, speeding down that highway going the wrong way but staying in her lane. The documentary goes into detail about her long history of dental issues, including an infected tooth (or possibly a few infected teeth). There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane is a 2011 documentary television film directed by Liz Garbus about the 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash. Diane Schuler and her husband Daniel on their wedding day. He was drinking behind my back for years and years, Im convinced of it. Daniel Schuler intended to re-test the fluid samples taken during the autopsy. Potassium K 17.2 mmol/L Having difficulty walking or seeing clearly. The woman's 5-year-old son survived. At approximately 9:30 AM on Sunday, July 26, 2009, Schuler left the Hunter Lake Campground in Parksville, New York, in a red 2003 Ford Windstar. Brandon Lawson The 911 call that led to a mysterious disappearance. Which could introduce fungi as well BUT there are a few notable examples of penicillin resistant bacteria. On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York. This story floats around the internet as an unsolved mystery. Josie, The only thing I have a hard time with is her being an alcoholic. 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. Recommended. It seems odd that she would become so severely impaired in such a short timeline of events, especially because no one could say she appeared drunk. The McDonalds employees also denied that Schuler was intoxicated, and in fact, reported she carried on a coherent and lengthy conversation while she waited for her order. We left for detox the next day his first stay was in May 2018 and when I dragged him there, his BAC was .476 and he had to go to the ER for two days first. 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. Given potential chronic infection in the mouth area, the infection could possibly travel to the brain and could potentially result in effects similar to what Diane was experiencing on that dreadful day. She bought cards for birthdays. Her family is in denial. Jackie Hance with newborn daughter Kasey Rose (Today) However, at the same time that Diane was reporting heavy traffic, other motorists on the NY Thruway were reporting a different series of events. You do not have to be an alcoholic to be drunk and stoned. Has anyone ever considered that may have happened to Diane Schuler. Schuler then talked to Hance herself and said that she was disoriented and couldnt see clearly. I hope her family reads this comment from Georgia Perry. But there is a reason and we'll never know what that reason is. The results of an autopsy conducted by a Westchester County medical examiner one day after the accident found that Schuler had not suffered a stroke, aneurysm, or heart attack. Diane Schuler herself then got on the phone and described being disoriented; her vision foggy. Second caller: The car is missing pieces. New York State Police Investigator Joseph Becerra said a trooper's accident report doesn't include a"wrong-way box" to check, suggesting those accidents are too rare to warrant adesignation. Dont worry, Im not going into the detail about mycology on here, but the easy answer is that yeast is a fungus. Although the toxicology report stated that Schuler was heavily intoxicated, Schulers husband, Daniel, has consistently denied that she abused drugs or alcohol, and has made multiple media appearances to defend his wife. There have been many autopsies were blood and urine alcohol levels are contaminated. I know for a fact she wasnt drunk when she came into the station, he said in a news report. There were also sighs of chronic smoking. Becerra estimates he has investigated "probably half a dozen" wrong-way head-on crashes in his 34 years on the job. This would mean Low Sugar for which some causes include: } Deep infections can occur if left undiagnosed and can result in symptoms characteristic to which Diane experienced (such as frequent headaches). He was a secret drinker and reminds me a lot of Diane, just from what Ive read from the article. Second caller: Were on the Taconic going northbound by the Sleepy Hollow/Pleasantville exit Route 117. Actually witnesses said she was switching lanes sporadically. Becerra, who grew up in Westchester, said he could not say whether the county's roads were more or less susceptible to wrong-way drivers. August 6, 2009 - Crash Mom's Husband: "I Would Marry Her Again Tomorrow", August 5, 2009 - Despicable! I just discovered this article and am feeling some sad relief that Im not the only one who failed to recognize an addict was right under their nose. Maybe her marijuana was tainted with something that did something weird to her brain. "Just about every case that we've experienced and that I've seen in 36 years has involved some type of impairment, whether drugs or alcohol," he said. The specifics of what happened in Diane Schulers car after the phone call are unknown and have been pieced together through witness accounts and toll information. in 75 years. Absolutely not with Pot on board. Within the next minute, four more 911 calls were placed by motorists who reported that a car was traveling the wrong way down the parkway. In New York, the level for intoxicated driving is 0.08%. Something she might have done before multiple times (drinking) with no major side effects, this time was a perfect storm in combination with the health values seen in the additional blood work. My husband is type one diabetic and Ive witnessed myself multiple times him have episodes and they are always different. The coroner probably never heard of the condition because its extremely rare. While I dont necessarily understand the circumstances surrounding the driving arrangement when leaving the park, it serves as a reminder that maybe two adults should be present when there are more than two kids in a car. In 1934, a bus on its way from Brooklyn to Sing Sing prison in Ossining, New York drove off an embankment and plunged into a ravine. There have been more wrong-way incidents in the decade since and, while the Taconic tragedy is still the deadliest, it still bears hallmarks of most wrong-way crashes: They are rare, they are often deadly and they are oftenfueled by alcohol. He ultimately admitted that there had been drinking during the weekend, but that Diane had not had anything to drink during the day prior to the accident. Brain abscesses are serious and can be treated if found early and if they occur more superficially in the brain. Do you know if anyone has contacted Dianes family to relay this information to them? Eight people were killed when a minivan, being driven by 36-year-old Diane Schuler, traveled 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in the wrong direction on the . Volunteer fire chief Joseph LaGrippo, one of the first at the scene of the horrific Taconic crash, described it as something no human should have to see., Ill never forget what happened that day.. As they pulled Diane Schuler out, they reported seeing a large bottle of Absolut Vodka broken on the floor of the drivers side a report that would be taken into account when the medical examiner performed his autopsy. Interesting theories, but the one thing that stands out to me is that she seemed DETERMINED to keep driving. She was probably trying not to drink with the kids. I also wondered about the weed she was using. The patients body produces an unusually high amount of yeast in the gut. They dont even know whats going on with themselves. The entire event took less than three minutes. Cool, but Auto-Brewery Syndrome alone doesnt feel like the only thing at play here. The following investigation determined that Diane Schuler was heavily intoxicated during the time of the crash. Her minivan collided with an SUV, resulting in the deaths of Schuler, her daughter, her three nieces, and three passengers in the other car. Diane Schuler Police Report - 2009 Taconic State Parkway Accident Created Date: 12/26/2009 12:44:12 PM . Then it was thought that Schuler may have had an abscessed tooth, as shed been seen rubbing her cheek although she hadnt complained of pain. Perfect Mom Diane Schuler Drove Her Van Full Of Kids Into A Head-On Collision But Why Remains Unknown. Aspergillus, although uncommon, has caused meningitis and brain abscesses. November 10, 2009 - Diane Schuler, Wrong-Way Crash Mom: Got Sick Twice Before Collision Killed Eight, Says Report August 11, 2009 - Paper: Reunion in the Works for Wrong-Way Crash Families They symptoms include decreased mental processes (confusion, decreased responsiveness), difficultly speaking and movement (loss of muscle function), vision problems, and vomiting to name a few. Medical Examiners are not Gods, they overlook things, and they dont do everything on every autopsy. SUBSCRIPTION SALE: Get unlimitedaccess to lohud for one low annual fee, 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash, 10 years later, Read the 2012 NTSB Highway Special Investigation Report on Wrong-Way Driving, after driving north on the soutbound New York State Thruway, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She told him that they were being delayed by traffic. } Witnesses flew into action to pull Schuler and the kids from the burning van, which had rolled over as it went down an embankment onto agrassy median. However this time, since she had been drinking on and off during the weekend and maybe even other times leading up to that weekend, she probably did not eat well (substantial nutrient rich foods) and probably did not drink alot of water. For the next 75 years, almost to the day, this tragedy would be Westchester Countys worst automobile accident one that the population hoped theyd never come close to again. entering the blood vessels that supply the brain and causing a brain abscess. After discovering this and looking at the tissue samples, all the tissue samples were clean, just like with Dianes case. 6. There are ocular migraines that distort vision and disorientate to the point that she may not have known how fast she was going and she could very easily not been able to see. If she did have diabetes then this is what it was and I know this for a fact. Diane Schuler was a 36-year-old woman from New York. Lets continue with the theory where she really did not consume any alcohol. A co-owner of the campground later said that Diane appeared sober when she departed. But no one who came in contact w.her found her intoxicated. Brian Schuler was the only survivor of the crash. Toxicology Results. As mentioned by the source, Diane was driving a red 2003 Ford Windstar that belonged to her brother. The family of Diane Schuler wants to have her body exhumed to resolve questions over whether she drank and smoked marijuana before the wrong-way Taconic State Parkway crash, an attorney for her . They even suggested she could have had an embolism or a heart attack, though all claims of medical issues were refuted by the autopsy report. Youtube Diane Schuler and her husband Daniel on their wedding day. Thus they look for reasons to excuse the behavior, but the bottom line is she drove while being severely inhibited by alcohol, which resulted in the death of herself and 7 other people. Still, the number of deaths attributed annually to wrong-way crashes has fluctuated little; it is typically between 300 and 400. Value shows High potassium If your potassium level is above 6.5 mmol/L, its dangerously high and you need medical care right away. Fort Valley State University student Missing Where is Anitra Gunn? Seven of the 11 people involved in the crash were pronounced dead at the scene. I knew something was wrong with my ex I had him tested for celiac disease, I had him get an endoscopy, a colonoscopy. Schuler's five-year-old son Bryan was the crash's only survivor and suffered two broken legs and a broken arm among other serious injuries. By Monika. Jackie Hance, sister-in-law of Diane Schuler, is shown in photo with two of her three daughters who were killed in crash Sunday when Schuler entered Taconic Parkway and drove the wrong way. herself and seven others when she drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway, A broken, 1.75-liter bottle of Absolut vodka was also found in the wrecked minivan. As your low blood sugar gets worse, you may experience more serious symptoms, including: Feeling weak. There is a condition called Auto Brewery Syndrome that is rare, but real. My exes extreme alcoholism didnt happen overnight. ******* How much fat, protein, and fiber are in your meal. No possible explanation suffices for the horrific July 26 crash, in which Ms. Schuler, returning from a camping trip, drove 1.7 miles in the wrong direction on a curvy . On that bright sunny day 10 years ago, families were shattered in a fiery crash that killed eight,including four girls, ages 2 to 8. Well, whats yeast? 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