Its unclear why Schuler did not call her husband, Daniel, who was supposed to be driving home in his truck at the same time Diane took the kids. Have the Hances had to give any testimony through the various lawsuits about what happened on that day? Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! No doubt she was pissed and irritated. On July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York. Please click here to get full access and no ads for $1.99 or less per month. When he found out she was driving a van with children he desperately tried calling both her and 911 but it was too late. Sonny arrives at his restaurant and gives Dex, who is there, the night off. Yet Schuler offered himself up, grim-faced, to the press, insisting his wife had an occasional glass of wine and tossed the rest of the bottle away. Required fields are marked *. judging from the death photos, R86, no. NR. This story has been shared 136,057 times. A wife and mother, who was also a cable TV executive, emerges in the film as a woman who strove to be perfect, often referred to as supermom by friends and family. I would have IMMEDIATELY called the cops. Four lawsuits have been settled from a 2009 crash that killed eight after a drunk and high West Babylon woman drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway, according to court documents and attorneys handling two of the cases. Reportedly, she had her hands firmly on the steering wheel at "ten and two" while she stared straight ahead. I don't think it's clear cut at all. Ms. Garbus offered to move forward the fitful investigation that Mr. Schuler and Jay Schuler have sponsored in their effort to vindicate Diane, or at least to explain her behavior. This one always bothers me because both "sides" (accident versus intentional) have some pieces that make sense, but some parts that just don't fit. The whole documentary just fascinates me. An exploration of the mystery surrounding the tragic 2009 wrong-way crash that killed a mother and seven others on NY's Taconic Parkway. Medical examiners also foundtraces of THCin her system. (Name will only be used to verify billing.). Those were the awful, last words of Emma Hance, who at 9 was the eldest of the five kids riding in the death car during the fiery, horrific crash in Westchester, a source close to the case told me. How many people went with the 'she was drunk and it was an accident' narrative vs 'she knew what she was doing, the drink was help, not cause/murder-suicide' narrative? I totally agree. (although obvs. She's concentrating on just driving straight and staying in one lane. I guess it's over. She could have been black-out drunk. His eventual response, a dramatic high point in the film, is not what they had hoped for. Any history of mental illness? At least two of the calls were to her brother, Warren Hance, the father of three girls who lost their lives. Her minivan collided with an SUV, resulting in the deaths of Schuler, her daughter, her three nieces, and three passengers in the other car. Her husband: deny deny deny. After reading in the NY Daily News that Aunt Diane *left her cell phone on the side of the road* after that last mysterious phone call with the brother (purposely leaving it behindthe only item she did that with) and suddenly driving pin straight 80-85mph down the wrong side of the freeway (after she had weaved and tailgated and driven erratically before for 60 miles and the the brother said he was on his way and for her to stay put after the last phone call) I definitely think she did it on purpose. I think it really revealed the depths of the family's state of denial, and what lengths her husband and sister-in-law were willing go to "prove" that it was a medical issue, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Regardless, I think the evidence still suggests intent - her driving behavior while on the highway seemed to imply control of the vehicle. The primary interviewees are Schuler's husband, Daniel, and sister-in-law, Jay, who are convinced that the toxicology report showing Schuler's high level of alcohol and THC intoxication was inaccurate, or that Schuler did not knowingly consume the intoxicants. On one hand, why was Ms. Schuler driving with marijuana and the equivalent of 10 shots of alcohol in her body, as tests later showed? The settlement included claims by the estates of the three Yonkers men in the other car who died: Guy Bastardi, 49; his father, Michael Bastardi, 81; and their friend, Daniel Longo, 74. Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter She was the breadwinner in the family and had to take full responsibility for the kids. Anyone can read what you share. For nearly two miles, Schuler was driving the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway. Here is a link to a pretty decent article written on the 10th anniversary of the crash that has a really detailed/comprehensive timeline of the whole day and even shows the exact place that Diane left the phone on the side of the road after a wrong number had been dialed three times. Daniel Schuler and his in-laws, Warren and Jackie Hance, later sued each other over the crash. I have never before witnessed or heard of an alcoholic get so messed up that they lose control or cohesion to this extent. I wouldn't be surprised if Danny and her got into some fight, he said something he regretted, and likely feels some responsibility for what happened, but is afraid of criminal/legal/financial repercussions. [quote]The McDonalds employees and the camp ground owner also swear that Diane wasnt drunk when they saw and interacted with them that morning. He also is the attorney in one of the Court of Claims cases. Personal experience and the description below from St. John's University would suggest that she would be coherent enough to know what she was doing, even if a bit drunk. In sharp contrast to the toxicology report, Schuler had no known history of substance abuse or psychological problems and was generally known as a loving and stable wife and mother. Im just wondering at what point exactly she started what seems to have been a binge? According to DUI Driving Laws, this is the equivalent of 10 drinks; more than twice the legal limit. From all the various testimonials about her (like her friends that she cut off because apparently they didn't like Danny), you just see that that woman was a loving mom, but also full of so much rage. (Not making sure his 2 year old daughter had a car seat?). Do you think we mischaracterized a critic's review. Aunt Diane on her wedding day; I was surprised that she doesnt look like an evil lush (I havent seen the documentary yet). It's obviously sad for the kids and the guys she killed, but that incredibly tightly-wound, perfectionist women seemed like a time bomb. What is Daniel Schuler up to these days and his closet-smoker sister in law? There was actually at least 2 cases in my town where a drunk driver killed themselves and innocent people by driving on the wrong side of the highway. [1] It premiered on HBO on July 25, 2011. This mysterious and shattering tragedy draws the public in, feeling a need to find out what really happened to Aunt Diane. Five years after a violent wrong-way collision on the Taconic State Parkway killed eight people including four young children a flurry of civil lawsuits stemming from the crash have been dropped or quietly settled, with the terms sealed by a state judge. This always seemed to me like murder-suicide; why she just didn't let the nieces out, hand them her phone and say "call your dad to come get you", who knows, but given how long she meandered around before getting on the Taconic and eyewitness testimony that she drove bullet-straight once she started driving the wrong way while people were blowing the horn at her always seemed like to me that at some point on that drive home she decided to kill herself and the kids. Online records show the four cases, all in state Supreme Court in Westchester County, were marked with a disposition date of Sept. 11, 2013. Directed by Liz Garbus; produced by Ms. Garbus and Julie Gaither; edited by M. Watanabe Milmore; director of photography, Michael Tucker; music by Jonathan Zalban. Why was she so drunk on a Sunday afternoon? If just one had made it wed maybe not be debating it at all. Also: the alleged drinking buddy in the article says that Dianes favorite drink was a screwdriver and that she had a super high tolerance foryou guessed it.vodka! Clearly, Diane had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders in that family. There are signs, EVERYONE IGNORED THESE SIGNS? I drive by the spot where they were killed every day. I'm skeptical as a result of her BAC, the control of the car she seemed to be demonstrating while on the highway, her actions leading up the crash that morning (i.e., everyone who ran into her made it seem like she was sober), the time of day (i.e., broad daylight with tons of oncoming traffic), and the fact that she had 6 children in the car screaming in terror and pleading for her to stop. it could have happened) but this is quite near to the psychological make-up of someone who might be prone to snapping like this. I don't really get the ambien thing either. They want to see how depressed he is, added my source. The decisions she made ended eight lives, four of them children. Anyway, the way they were trying to absolve her of responsibility for killing eight people was sickening. She bought orange juice to use as a mixer! As relatives, friends, co-workers and a forensic psychologist build a picture of Diane as a high-achieving, perfectionist mother and wife, Ms. Garbus intersperses the interviews with a reconstruction of the events of July 26, 2009. Officials said Schuler's blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, and that she had consumed marijuana. You are a PARENT and you drive when you are drunk and high? I agree with most of your points except that I don't think the goal of the documentary filmmakers was to find a medical reason for what she did. May the innocents rest in peace. HBO's 'There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane' Documentary examines fatal crash by wrong-way driver on N.Y. highway. But while the lawsuits are done, relatives of some of those killed said the unanswered questions are not. She drank some vodka right out of the bottle and probably smoked some pot. It would be very interesting to know the content of the phone conversation Aunt Diane had with her brother before the accident. Verified Audience. What I do not understand is how was she smoking pot without the kids noticing? It messed her up. Words are exchanged and she's really angry because her brother is yelling at her saying he knows she's a drunk and a pothead and should never have trusted her with his kids. The film follows Diane's husband and sister-in-law, who believe that Diane may have had a medical emergency that precipitated the crash, and who hire a lawyer and PI to investigate that . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Its so tragic and unfortunate when there are no survivors left to report on an incident. It was strange that they featured her four high school friends and one person who seemed just a neighbor on the documentary but no real intimates or who knew her in her daily life. In subsequent calls, it was clear that something was terribly wrong. The Bastardi and Longo families pushed for prosecutors to convene a grand jury, but it never happened. He knows she's drunk and gets pissed and tells her to stay put because he's on his way to get his kids. I just watched "There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane," which I found interesting and thought-provoking. She didn't feel like dealing with 5 little kids and wasn't looking forward to the boring 2 hour ride home. There was no fucking Ambien! Leading up to the crash, it appeared as though Schuler was behaving normally. Leaving the phone behind on the side of the road and then getting in the minivan with the kids for the final time looks pretty bad. But did she leave it there on purpose, or was she so fucked up she set it down and forgot it? Poisoned Apple: What happened to Aunt Diane? All rights reserved. But so many who knew Schuler described her as the perfect wife and mother, and so the desperate hunt for answers began. Would it have killed you to have at least posted a picture or link OP? The July 26, 2009, crash was one of Westchester County's most horrific. I don't get it. I just find it hard to believe this woman was an alcoholic and no one thought that she should not drive the kids around. She calls her brother. If she secretly was THAT big of a drinker a BAL of 190 is not that high. I just don't understand how people can think someone goes from driving perfectly fine, using a cell phone totally fine, being "coherent" by all account witnesses, and having experience with heavy drinking, to "she drank herself to the point that she didn't realize she was driving the wrong-way for 2 miles without swerving.". Shes gone, he said, choking up. I'm watching it. I would side with you that it was murder/suicide. She leaves her phone on the barrier on the side of the road. The story of Diane Schuler and the horrifying collision she caused is a series of mysteries that probably cant be solved but that could, from some angles, be seen as fairly easy to explain. Top Critics. She still drove while fucked up and killed lots of people. Very good post R40; the story fascinated me too - because it starts out as coverage of this terrible accident in which the circumstance seem so inconsistent with the person everyone thought they knew, but as the story unfolds, you get insight into what happened with this woman and how the people that think they knew her (like her sister in law) really had no clue. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. By creating an account, you agree to the Its really bizarre and I admit I dont understand this case in that way. All Audience. This was curious, because the Schulers said they left upstate early, around 9:30 a.m. on July 26. Not 100% anyway. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. I think she did it only after being set off by some event during the camping trip and because drinking and being high gave her the "courage" and decreased her judgement. Nine days after her deadly crash, Dianes toxicology report revealed she had a blood-alcohol content of .19% the equivalent of ten drinks and more than twice the legal limit as well as a high blood level of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. I have never before witnessed or heard of an alcoholic get so messed up that they lose control or cohesion to this extent. She said something about it during the call to her brother. Therefore, it doesn't surprise me that Diane never forgave her mother for making her a surrogate mother. I agree that it was likely a murder-suicide. I was surprised to learn that Diane has taken all of her nieces camping with just her, her husband, and her kidsthe parents of the girls did not go with them. hbo Poisoned Apple Donate to Common Sense $1496 $2000 Contributed Our Goal The woman took her girls away. Or maybe not in secret; it wouldn't have been hard to hide her alcoholism from that clueless family. "There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane" premieres on HBO at Monday 9 p.m. WATCH VIDEO: The trailer for "There's something wrong with Aunt Diane"," which is available on. But she warned her father that she was going to be late, and would not arrive home on time for drama rehearsal. Jesus Christ! This mysterious and shattering tragedy draws the public in, feeling a need to find out what really happened to Aunt Diane. 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