Original subtitles

the state police are the temple my name

is brackish penis I'm actually trying to

help a friend right now and I need some

information their children are on their

way home from a camping trip with their

hand they just called my friends out the

straps hanging at the answer is driving

erratically different the answers been

picking up the cell phone right now

I'm in the car they think is having a

medical emergency she cuz she called

them that she couldn't talk anymore and

she's got five kids in the car the

father in the husband or the father and

the brother here at the station

if y'all please now on emergency what is

road nine manatee epic on it okay okay

there any injuries I really don't know

hold on let me check it out hold on

thank you - um honestly hold on I really

don't know on the other are there's like

little kids where the kids not moving

there's yeah there's a whole bunch of

kids honestly the car smashed okay

she listen perfect wife as standing

mother hard worker reliable person

trustworthy I would marry again tomorrow

by she's awesome she's the best

she drives away I watched this like

numerous times over and over again and

she was fine that's what's frustrating

I'm very big into mystery shows I I live

for watching those and even before this

that's all I would watch and it's just

ironic to me that I feel like I'm on one

of them I feel like I'm walking around

and there's going to be like this story

is going to come out I feel like

someone's gonna say ten years later it

proves what happened there's so much

more to the story it was a horrific

scene on the Taconic Parkway near route

117 this afternoon this burned-out shell

was all that remained of a minivan

after the head-on crash which left eight

people dead Diane Schuler her daughter

and three nieces three Westchester men

in the SUV were killed evidence leads us

to believe that a vehicle was traveling

the wrong way southbound in the

northbound lanes of traffic several

people who were ejected most of the

children

we were able to save one young more than

one family was destroyed tonight after a

horrible crash on the Taconic Parkway

the lone survivor a five-year-old boy

clinging to life here tonight at the

Westchester Medical Center I first got

the phone call I didn't know what

happened

I just want updated Hospital then I

found out there better than a car

accident and you get all warm and you

got all upset on the phone and he handed

me the phone and at that point it was

Brian died and everybody else was a lot

and then I went to papa's house and told

them that ronnie was dead and then I got

the phone call that it wasn't at Brian's

survived and then Jimmy said it's bad

stage I everyone's calling I don't know

how much of that day no just taking care

of Brian that's what I remember

my sister was a phenomenal mother and

and friend and all of us are grateful

for the love and care that she showered

upon our entire family especially all of

our children what we asked for all of

you going forward is that you keep my

girls my sister and my niece and all of

us in your daily prayers there's a

miracle child in all of this how we're

doing after you Brian who's getting

better and stronger by the day and he'll

be loved by more people than he will

ever understand love your children

cherish your children kiss your children

don't ever forget

an autopsy was performed by the

Westchester County Medal because that

medical examiner's office on the body of

Diane Schuler the operator of the 2003

Ford man who was responsible for this

crash the toxicology from that autopsy

shows that Diane Schuler had a blood

alcohol content of 0.19% the legal limit

for intoxication in New York State is

point zero eight percent toxicology also

reveals that Diane Schuler had a high

level of THC THC is the active

ingredient contained in marijuana the

wait is what's very important in

calculating the number of drinks and

with that level of alcohol it's

approximately ten drinks are still in

her at this time

all right um we want to speak to you

about the events that occurred and I'll

tell you quite candidly that I didn't

see any real benefit except my client

and wants to talk about his wife she was

not an alcoholic she rarely had a drink

she got in the van with the children and

what should have taken a 35-minute drive

took almost four hours listen to this I

go to bed every night knowing my heart

is clear she did not drink she's not an

alcoholic

listen to all that she is not an

alcoholic and my heart is rustic every

night when I go to bed something

medically had those happen my name my

Jay Schuler married I'm married to

Danny's brother Jimmy Schuler Diane was

my sister-in-law family was the most

important thing to her to have the

cousins all playing together there is no

way she would ever jeopardize the

children that's the ballgame just really

honest it

look at the things they wrote about a

loser skank killer and that nice I'll

shut the F up and admit that him and his

wife were alkies and potheads people

you'll see in hell

that's what Bryan's gonna say that his

mother was a murderer and people want to

know why I keep on fighting you go from

the horrific tragedy to now people

hating you hating you people what

they're saying on the computer people

with the saying on the news you know and

I'm like you don't know us that's not

what happened

and any sympathy turned to hate I need

Brian to hold his head up high that his

mommy was a great mom

she wasn't drunk she would never do that

to never never ever she'd never hurt her

kids or Lauren Jackie's something

happened

we'll do every test that experts

recommend to us you know we'll go to

every avenues here that can be explored

but what if it doesn't turn up something

you want yeah I I think about that

sometimes but it's gonna work out and if

it doesn't I I don't even go down that

path because I know she wouldn't let me

fight this for nothing

ah the barber law fractured afternoon

you know weather came to me originally

to go public that was from day one they

didn't just pick my name out of a hat

they wanted to go public and I still

think it was the right thing to do it

would have never gotten to where it is

today you wouldn't be involved if it

wasn't something but look right right

this has been a very painful emotionally

painful experience this case because

I've taken a lot of grief I've taken

work weeks on this case and some of them

really but a few Cohen Jessica Hahn

cases of the 70s and 80s and my

friendship with certain celebrities this

took more heat people actually come over

to me how can you represent that drunk

and that really bothers me because I

truly believe in my heart of hearts that

she's not an alcoholic nor drunk

do I have an answer for that day no

what is the thing that you want to

happen most I want to know what happened

to my wife I want an autopsy done a

correct autopsy done I want to know if

she had a shoka nut because what they're

saying is not true no I wouldn't be

doing this

I don't know quiet person in a private

person but uh I just want to find out

what happened so when my son gets older

he knows what happened to his mom I'm

gonna go until the end until I find out

what really happened the truth whether

it's good or bad Dobby following me

that I know something medically happened

to my wife

the Diane talked to you about her mother

not much was it a subject could we talk

about what would she say better then she

left when Diane was young gently

bringing it up was it something that she

just kind of deal with it seemed like a

baller huh but she wouldn't talk about

it and I never pushed pushed oh she was

the girl of the house and everyone said

that Diane did everything did you ever

meet her mother no someone said she was

at the funeral at the week but um I

never met her

I have only things I knew that she

didn't have contact with her do why did

you know why she left the father.the I

don't know why she left the dead no I

really don't Diane wasn't like that like

she didn't go like pity me feel sorry

for me but I would imagine that had a

big impact on her that she was gonna be

totally there for her kids and never

leave them and that's why we find it so

ironic can you give a more detailed

description what happened before she

went off on the trip what you what you

had to eat together what combination

yeah come to know you okay Anna

come down right from the moment you woke

up I woke up at 6 o'clock going down to

my boat to clean it out do what I got to

do came back about 4 to 7 7 o'clock or

woke her up saying we have to start

cleaning the camper so you can start

getting home before traffic she woke up

started packing the bag slowly started

waking the kids up slowly start getting

the kids dressed we unloaded the camper

all the bags outside the camper and I

walk him to the car and we load them up

we had a cup of coffee two cups of

coffee and then we left

do you remember your last words yeah I

kissed everyone go buy a my wife thank

you

you

you

it's a great weekend swimming I can

campfire cooking marshmallows game room

with the kids the playground was an

accident we can catch any fish catch you

later

there's largemouth bass there's small

mouse there's pickles

sunny Scrappy's hi there how are you say

when they come up here they forget that

the world exists

it does give you the opportunity to take

a breath

it's crazy today just the pressures of

everyday life you know mom's working

dad's working the kids are busy doing

activities at school

I don't think families have enough time

to spend with each other and I think

this is probably one of the places that

they can come and just enjoy it

there's a perfect relaxation right out

there

well that morning we got up we had

breakfast we made coffee we cleaned up

the camper take a bite all the kids and

she hopped in her car I opted mine we

went on our way

he received a phone call at 9:00 a.m.

from Emma Hans's oldest daughter who

said everything was good they had a

great time they were looking forward to

coming home

Danny was parked up in front and he had

the dog and he had the truck and she was

right behind him in the van and the kids

were just yelling they were all strapped

in their seats and yelling what a good

time they had because they were up

visiting with that you know Diane and so

forth so I kind of leaned and I said oh

I hear you yell and I said you have a

good time and they go yeah we're coming

back but you know they were so excited

about coming back and it was about the

last thing they said I said to Diane

have a safe trip home

she certainly seem sober to me

you

you

we left the campground we left together

I followed her out then we got on the

Parkway and I went home with my dog and

the laundry and she stopped off at the

stores get guys to get kids breakfast I

just went home

the morning they left at Sunday he

stated that they left approximately at

the same time Diane left with all the

kids in the minivan and he left with a

dog and he stated that Diane was

stopping at a McDonald's not far from

the campground the hands family agreed

that it was pre-planned that he would

take the pickup truck with the dog so

you can't put the kids in the back of a

pickup truck and they borrowed the

minivan from the answers for the very

purpose of transporting all the children

investigators from the Liberty Station

were able to obtain a video from the

McDonald's which was time-stamped

show Diane Schuler and two McDonald's

with the children we additionally

interviewed the McDonald's employee who

served her he said that he did remember

her and did not remember her being

intoxicated or smelling of alcohol the

children were playing in the playground

they seemed to be having a good time

through this video we saw no obvious

signs of intoxication

there's the Sunoco video where you see

her at the pump getting out of car and

then she goes in at the gas station

then she goes in and apparently asked

for some sort of pain meds which they

don't have

she walked in spoke to the clerk we

don't know what we said there's no audio

and walked out with nothing again there

was no obvious signs of intoxication at

this time

door oh no we didn't I

I can what is it again I can learn you

know avoiding you know stuff really good

stuff

what's in that were bride sinks oh yeah

yeah

we're now more a human face a human

faces mom no I see it can we find a deer

before possum ate hotdogs what is this

do PR i--'s brice makes them strong

right

this is the picture that they took at

the campsite on Saturday it's really

hard to look at but you can see how much

fun they have him cuz Bryan being like

as shy as he is Aaron with a ball and

Emma Allie and Kate and that would be

typical day in like alright everyone on

a rock pose Diane like when she asked me

to be a godmother

Aaron I like I'm like oh my god should

really just like me you know I was like

so thrilled that was on Aaron's birthday

and Diane would always be like all right

godmother come sit open presents

she got sunglasses and it was too cute

it was fun it's just not the same

you

you

let me mourn and Jackie I think their

grief is just so bad - Jackie kids with

a job that's what she did it listening

to her schedule of soccer dance this

that times three running all around till

we go to nothing

I can't imagine anyone in her family

things Dianne was drunk as a parent like

you had the tiny bit of doubt a human

eye would have a tiny bit of doubt

human but when Jackie reflects back I

don't want to speak for them but her and

Diana like best friends but are they

choosing to speak out about it

No

this is a day he's coming up to my house

and this is 7:15 and lingos well going

to Yorktown Heights today my sister's

house what surprise will it be for

dinner

laughs out loud that's a day he died

that morning I remember I remember my

brother's voice on that phone saying to

me you go I said okay we're going to

just have spaghetti meeples I had the

table set and I remember him saying okay

it's all right you know I'll be there

it's sort of there's no closure at that

point because you don't get to say

goodbye

you know I mean like I know that he

knows who you are loved him you know we

love my brother wheel up and then they

know that but we didn't get to tell them

you know like we didn't get to have that

closure with them and that that bothers

me and then it also like I said it

bothered me because they never made it

home they should have made it home that

day and they didn't it was a shock it

was really a shock I mean this

what if phone call came in and I'm not

that forward he was healthy he was just

he retired and he was really just got to

enjoying himself I feel his life was cut

short

he was really I think he a lot more Life

to Live

Brian's my my main priority right now

done being a single parent it's hard

trying to do the right thing for him

give him a normal life as we possibly

can definitely changed I do security

work I work nights so I'm up at 6:00 my

bed by 1:00 what's the hardest part of

being a single parent food shopping

cooking laundry taking care of the house

make sure Brian's schoolwork ain't going

to work

oh you're going all day and all night

this is every little time for yourself

just Brian ask a lot of that is mom you

talk a lot about it mom mommy took me

here

mommy blow me that likes to play hero

mommy all the time

was Brian get any kind of special

support or counseling no yeah

the school is excellent he's doing

really good in school I know everything

is somewhat back to normal if let's talk

about he will know I have tried to poke

and prod and things I'm curious and he

said mommy's head hurt she couldn't say

I said up Brian I said your mom and Jay

I told you her head hurt she couldn't

say and he said I said oh and that's

when the crash happened and he said and

I flew out of the car like Superman

since he came home from rehab and I

thought of spending my days with him the

stories never changed never ever change

mommy's had hurt she couldn't say

Diane called and said we're running a

little late because the girls had play

practice and we had a great time

everything's great all laughing kidding

around and Diane said all right they

talked about the play the play get me

two tickets

I think Erin will sit on my lap and then

they said okay we'll see you soon

we were traveling back on the Thruway

heading south

we were driving in the center lane and

the vehicle came up rather quickly in

the right lane and moved into the center

lane moved back into the right lane and

continued to make a series of movements

changing lanes rather aggressively and

we both looked at we saw a woman

grasping on to the steering wheel

appearing to concentrate as she was

driving and the last movement it made it

made from the right lane and it kind of

cut off a car in the middle lane in the

car the truck actually swerved that a

way to avoid it but each time it made

the movement it did it the vehicle was

kind of it was very precisely it would

move into the lane it would move out of

the lane and it was done with some

degree of precision

and there came a point in time where we

actually could see children's heads kind

of swaying back and forth as the vehicle

moved

coming down through way knowing to the

rest area

I thought we passed her she pulled out

and got right behind us and she was I

mean so close to me I could see her

headlights and then the next thing you

know you started here in the horn

beeping

it made me nervous in fact I braced

myself for an accident because I thought

she was so close behind us but the way

she was driving I thought she was you

know just some sort of nut coming behind

me and then when she tried to pass me

again on a shoulder that's when I really

thought it and then she just pulled

right back in behind me

the honking happened as we were getting

off the exit for the Thruway into the

rest area we stayed straight which went

into the call lane and she veered off

into the truck area and I did see her

open the door get out of the car and

possibly she was going to get sick to

her stomach what made you think that she

was kind of bent over a little my

husband and I then walked into the rest

area and she wasn't there when we came

out again

it was 12:30 p.m. you have to do over

what would you do I would have

confronted her you know and then we

probably would have seen those kids in a

car and you probably probably would have

seen that there was you know shoot there

was something wrong

inflation okay keep this bought one yeah

all right I can't really remember point

where Diane wasn't a part of my life

I remember Girl Scouts with her soccer

teams together kindergarten first grade

like I don't remember her just not being

male you hang out with her at school and

you had the best time ever because she

was a class clown and then you wanted to

hurt her to come to your house because

she was always fun she always made you

laugh I moved to Florrick and fourth

grade that's when I got involved with

the whole group of girls we would

definitely I want to see crazy we

weren't but we were we were loud

we were fun you know we liked the

attention I was most spirited Diane got

latticed in our class I mean seeing a

superlative she got like seven of them

you know she was loudest most fun to be

around place class clown you know

actually something that I didn't like to

be in the spotlight she was in the

spotlight just because that was just

such a big personality Diane always had

a good head on her shoulders and you

know was very responsible from an early

age she lived with her father and her

brothers and you know she was like the

woman of the house she had to clean the

kitchen you know she had to do wash and

you know somebody's got to take on that

momily role so to speak and you know she

definitely did it well in high school

Diane was heavy sometimes she struggled

to lose weight I guess it was right

before my wedding is when she had lost

the most weight ever I looked amazing

and she had come to my wedding and

that's actually where she had met Danny

she really never did while we were

younger and I think because she never

really had that companionship growing up

or you know I never had a boyfriend or

anything so when she met Danny like you

know she was gonna experience everything

that you know we've all had a chance to

experience that was her first love and I

think she knew that you know it was

gonna be the only love

mr. Schouler swing c'mon sir

yeah the state police stuff there was a

bottle of Absolut Vodka in the van

do you know where that came from it was

explained all right on Daniel how to

explain the vodka we usually will keep

it in our camper throughout the whole

season one bottle why why you know your

pina colada is usually by a camera miles

what was the vodka bottle doing in a car

my wife packed all the bags that day in

the camper and leaves them by the door I

carry him from the camper to the trucks

I'm very surprised that the vodka bottle

was in there I had no idea

I don't know watches he give you does it

give you pause to think that maybe just

maybe she was a drinker and you didn't

know it I feel it for 13 years

absolutely not

Daniel do I appear here why keep on

doing this the truth the truth will come

out well Larry you have to understand

Danny doesn't want the other families to

think that a drunk driver killed their

families that's why we are out to prove

that you try to prove that she wasn't

drunk I've gotten to a point I forget to

Angela I pray for her like I pray for my

father and my brother and those children

and the family that's still alive I'm

still working on come on even the lies

about the bottle oh it's not all about

allowing the wish good oh yeah we kept

the bottle up at the camp we brought it

back and foot stories just kept changing

they just kept changing and like I said

if if if you just come forward and say

I'm sorry she made a mistake you could

accept that right but to have to keep

lying and try to come up why what are

you trying to cover up what happened I

would say to him what what transpired

between you and your wife right that

pushed her right that pushed her and

then I say to him you know what what's

with the denial you denying this is

enabling other people to do the same

thing I mean the right thing to do is to

admit you know my wife was drunk don't

let this happen to your family

go

doctor

dr. May 25th

someone is gone it was a deep deep wish

to find a way to remember them which in

a way is the silver lining to the loss

that people experience

and forensic psychiatric autopsy what we

do is attempt to piece together the

state of mind and who the person was at

the time of the events and question

people are seeking to preserve hell

memory at the same time they want to

find out what actually happened because

it's it's such a tragedy and such a

mystery and they and right now they are

constructed the choices they have is to

either accept however someone who was

bad which he cannot because that she

wasn't bad and their relationships work

done oh to be able although focusing on

some medical event through which there's

no evidence an autopsy

the problem is when someone is being

demonized the tendency by that those who

remember that person is to try to make

them into a saint do you wanna show the

nice photo album daddy major oh my god

one shower

this Brian first fishy cut

that and they would pumpkin pickin the

Halloween real good big brother

- buddy with the glasses

good job try to see it try to see it a

hold it

alright look I said a good job look at

that oh my god you're getting Elliott

what you want to show the picture of

your mommy Epstein hmm and then the one

in mommy and daddy

he was madly in love dur him and I said

he met the right girl finally she was

lovely

she's so motherly you know I've been ice

five my son Danny and she spoiled up

she can't endure

she called him loose she was the boss

yeah yeah

she made all decisions and Danny was

like her oldest child you know and he he

loved Diane that Diane like I said made

all the decisions and he was like her

oldest boy better yeah Diane she was a

amazing woman she worked her way up to

you with extremely smart woman her own

offices where the boss she had her own

secretary yeah they loved her she's got

a lot of friends in a cape evasion

a lot of pressures are evil

she seemed to be very good at whatever

she attempted I mean she was very good

at her job she was a take-charge person

too you know something came on and all

this person's gonna have a baby

Oh Artie okay you go out and get this

and we'll go and do that and you get

this and we'll get together and it's

just the way she was

everything was ironed and down to like

the littlest thing like a panther on a

shirt was Arion just was on I like I was

like the kids clothes were on I'm like

when do you do this

she made me a book there's all little

pictures up to children when she had put

the kids to bed she'd work on it every

night and then she was starting another

one for me the end I said I yeah where'd

he get time because by the time she

would leave my house and get home was

seven o'clock in the evening but then

she'd feed him dinner then she would

bathe him then should we take Brian and

read his book to him they put him in the

bed inciude clutter would pick up lil

Aaron and read her the book

how he hurried to bed and ditch found

time to work on these little books and

then Danny would come home she's ever

snapped to Danny but then she's back up

again in the morning I really and sheet

roll order laundry in the meantime no

matter cardiac all night or what

you know but so much be so organized you

know she made it look easy and they

worked after said schedules her and

Danny you know which you know could be

stressful but she didn't make it seem

that way Brian and Erin my Erin started

preschool together and we would see each

other on a daily basis I was the second

parent there every day and she was the

first and she came from Babylon and I

live right around the block from the

preschool she was not only on time the

kids were dressed impeccably there was

never like a stain on their shirt with

toothpaste on the corner of their mouth

a hair out of place very on top of

things

she chaperones for school trips she put

herself on a list to donate things for

school parties and everything she did it

all you know and she worked full-time so

so do you think she was like the

supermom issued that she never had I

think so I think that drove her to be

you know it definitely laid the

groundwork for what type of a mother you

know she was going today how do you as

an investigator explained the toxicology

report with high levels of marijuana in

Diane's system how do you explain that I

can't explain it but what I will tell

you is what we are doing is I want to

determine if those results are correct

the Schuler family has been trying to

raise the money among the family to pay

for the additional tests that need to be

done to try and clear Diane's name

Daniel Schuler and the Schuler family

felt so convinced in in Diane's

reputation and her background which is

substantial

so far by our investigation that they

went out and they paid their good money

for a private investigation for him to

come in and look at this and take it

where it leads it all I know is that

when I got when this first happened and

we got dominic and Don Louis gave us Tom

I'm like all right this guy is going to

save the day

she's in save the day he's going to find

out what happened to her he just totally

was like you're right she wasn't drunk

he's like it just doesn't make sense

everyone who I spoke to and everything

was about all right well we got to get

this done I'm going I'm getting the

samples I'm getting this I'm getting

that and we're gonna need more money ten

thousand dollars and thirty thousand

dollars we don't have this money you

know we're taking it from here barn from

Peter to pay Paul and Diane was the

breadwinner but I convinced everyone

foul Tom Tom's gonna do it and nothing

was done nothing was done how do you do

that to people

have you spoken to Tom husband at all

yeah what happened there don't know that

is as soon as we paid him he disappeared

what was Ruskin's job what was he hard

to do Ruskin was hired to go up there

and start finding out things and collect

information I used them on two prior

cases and he done a very good job I

don't know what happened here I picked

up the newspapers every day and I was

you know with great chagrin where's he

going I understand we put up we put our

point out there now let's wait to see

what happens there was every day

something new in the paper hi just

wanted Ruskin to come under control have

you interviewed him yet we have been

trying to set that up

Icom hi how you doing I'm okay how you

doing good just a little bit busy when I

was speaking to my people my agent my

attorney they said 20 25,000 otherwise

you know it's just not worth your time

right it's just not even in the ballpark

of what documentaries you know great

we wouldn't supply the test results we

would not supply you know the pictures

in the video it's not worth us getting

it out of archive and it out of where

we've stored it running around and

spending our time doing that versus

working for a client for tens of

thousands of dollars a day just ironic

that you can get these so quickly of

helping us and we've asked to these for

a year

oh that's when she was on the prenatal

vitamins well when she gum was pregnant

do you remember having you heard trouble

sleeping no and she got um hydrocodone

and uh that's the dentist she would

always do this I noticed always rubbing

the side yep

I so didn't how friends saw that too I

had a tooth was bother yeah okay so

before she had the cleaning and x-rays

here she had it she had the root canal

then they went to go in and do more she

really would not get that finished it

was - she just hated it right he's gonna

say denon all exam no cleaning so

obviously she was still having pain it

was at the last one wait seven 3108

that's a year before

maybe it's the same tooth that was

bothering her Olsen's l5 that she never

got worked on and this is the one that

they said she went and then she left

they said that she left the dental

office in the middle of it all we wanted

was a starting point of what happened to

her because if she stopped for Advil or

Tylenol or something something was

bothering him it was bad yeah I feel

like now I can look over these things

all the time but I'm just gonna come to

conclusions in my head

and approximately 1:00 p.m. Diane called

Jackie hands and this is the phone call

where she sounded dis shelled and

disoriented

he basically stated that she didn't

sound like herself and at one point she

called him Danny which is her husband's

name and he knew something was wrong the

kids were crying in the background and

he told his sister to said put that he'd

be right up there when there is an

incoherent phone call with her brother

our oldest niece is apparently on the

phone to her parents saying there's

something wrong with aunt Diane if

they're saying aunt Diane can't say and

Diane can't

something's wrong with aunt Diane they

were pulled over at that point and Emma

told her dad we're hit where they were

read me a sign and she said Tarrytown

Warren races up from where he is in Long

Island to the Tappan Zee Bridge to try

and find Diane

she leaves her phone on the Jersey

barrier the the divider acted happens

eBridge the phone was located right

after the Tappan Zee Bridge tolls on a

pull-off

off to the right someone had found her

cell phone sitting on a guide rail her

entire route up until the Tappan Zee

Bridge is consistent well she would have

normally done then becomes unclear as to

why she got off the highway and where

she went

all right no quite frankly well thanks

for your doing this was she your closest

friend I would say yeah she was and we

were kind of not very similar in a lot

of ways like I'm a very easygoing person

and lot of things passed and she was had

to be in charge of everything and there

was nothing left to chance

you know everything had to be planned

and precise she was a powerful woman

she's very much in charge of everything

at work at home in the car and a

friendship if you were with Diane you

pretty much Sheila it was her way yeah

you know it was pretty much if you said

you know even I would program the GPS in

the car and I just blindly follow the

GPS if I put an address in there and

she'd be like no that's wrong you know

turning in you know yeah every step of

the way you know she would it would be

we're outing itself because she wouldn't

you know allow me to follow the GPS

she's certainly not a perfect person you

know she loved you she loved you if she

didn't like you she could be difficult

you know you know she didn't let

anything go

you know she you know somebody was rude

or you know she called him out right

there you know um she was okay as long

as she was in control of everything you

guys ever have conversations about any

kind of pain she was having um you know

I know I I know she did have issues with

um like especially that last week every

time I would see her she would be

holding her jaw or moving her mouth or

right you know like moving her lower jaw

knowing her and knowing how what kind of

person she was every day of her life and

how she conducted us um as

crazy as it sounds people grasping for

up you know reasons um it seems more

plausible to anybody who knows her that

something medical could have happened to

her she seen it all no not at all and

and Diane was not the type of person to

ever hide her feelings if she was upset

with you you knew she was upset with you

you know she wasn't a type of person

that um would smile if you know and just

pretend if she had if something was

wrong she would she would have said

something was wrong did she talk about

her marriage with you not really about

her marriage you know I know she to me

she just appeared very content you know

very um happy with the way her life was

um stint you know never hurt her she

wouldn't discuss her marriage no one

would last time you had spoken with her

box ideas ten years hmm so what happened

with you guys that you didn't speak for

all that time how did that work

how'd that work that you know didn't

Dani just likes to be Dani and they like

to do their own thing and we never never

got into a fight there was never an

argument there was never a reason why we

stopped talking it just stopped that's

it there was no there's no rhyme or

reason why it ended so I was actually

the only one that was invited to the

wedding and I did not go by choice

because that's Diane and I didn't have

as close to the bond as we had and it

was upsetting and I had I had my first

child already and you know like Diane

was an heir for that which was weird so

use me oh so I think for me like I

couldn't take part of this part of my

life with it without the connection we

had yes

you

you

Gina radius

so you get match to DNA to my wife

Senate that DNA does match the sample

what will come next the medical part

right that's what I'm waiting for the

medical part of it

yeah so this was all five four years

before grinding teeth sensitivity to

cold Lucy the broken fillings and tooth

pain and joy difficulty pain does that

say abscess you know that was the same

tooth that was bothering her afterwards

no so funny she never even tell people

she's gone to the dentist not like

people who know she okay

no never for that year she was fine I'm

fine I'm fine I'm fine

Diane was a very private person people

who knew her said to me over and over

again that Diane didn't talk about

personal matters she never articulated

feelings about anybody

hi says Liz Garbus calling again

her mom was like a non-issue I don't

really think she wanted to interact with

her she talked about her dad she told

her dad do we know why her mom left her

house the house look at that I did

so you don't you don't want to talk

about her mom no I'm sorry I don't even

know 100% the background of the divorce

I just know everybody they were all very

angry the mother left with the next-door

neighbor I think it was like a family

friend but you know what she never

complained about it she never talked

about like it was as if like almost like

she wasn't even there

one time I told him Diane's mother and

uh she said I'm not the bad person and

whatever that meant

and also I told I told that to Diane

when I came home and she didn't want

nobody Diane's mother reached out a time

and again trying to reconcile trying to

develop a relationship with Diane and I

and his brothers and Diane's mother had

a relationship with her sons Diane's

brothers so it was really uniquely Diane

who held some kind of unarticulated

grudge against her mother parents get

divorced but it's very rare that a nine

year old daughter would not go with a

mother than a divorce that particular

point in time

so did Diane herself need to use some

denial to go ahead and survive the

trauma of being abandoned by her mother

at the age of nine of course it's very

painful for a nine-year-old I think she

had that vulnerability about her

please through it starts a temple my

name is Brad fishiness I'm actually

trying to help a friend right now their

children are on their way home from a

camping trip with their aunt we just

called my friends out the straps hanging

at the antis driving erratically they're

at a rep center the best they can

understand is that they were in

Tarrytown or Sleepy Hollow those were

the signs that they saw the answers been

picking up the cell phone right now no

kind of card run yeah they're in a

minivan threat and it has a ski rack on

it Jackie couldn't if she's flipping out

she can't remember her license plate

number

just based on what miss Jackie Hance

told me that this was out of character

for her sister-in-law not to answer the

phone and also the fact that one of the

children had mentioned that the that her

aunt wasn't feeling well

I asked mrs. Hanson Diane Schuler had

any history of medical problems I think

I even asked her you know if she had any

history of drug abuse and again these

are questions I would ask anybody and

she said no so at that point I kind of

treated it as an overdue motorist /

possible medical emergency but at that

point we were just check and see if we

can locate the van there's a number of

ways that she can get to the entrance to

the Taconic she could have gone up 9a

and going across she could have gone up

to the Connick and simply maybe u-turn

so how she got to that exit ramp we

don't know

State Police are the temple Jessie

Evelyn malar just kept listen I have a

family here that thinks that they might

have a medical emergency of their sister

and five kids in the car okay do you

know is there any way that we can track

her cell phone to get a location if I

give you a number

look it's right there look at the last

name schul er but on her voicemail faces

con chance that's related which name

with the phone bill dinner for girls in

school or to hear but yakking on the

phone with is part of my life hey

Giselle fulfill coming yours our answer

to life feeling with me I got a phone

call from my brother-in-law Danny's

brother

then I got my keys and my brother and we

went upstate he asked me if I would take

a ride wouldn't back upstate because

they could find font Diane I was at work

and when I heard Jimmy : see Danny's

coming over he needs me

we're going to find I am at that point

we just thought she wasn't feeling well

you don't want to touch that

this is an area where we set up our

alcohol levels for whatever sample we're

testing so it's blood urine brain if

it's where Diane Schuler's blood alcohol

was listed yes when we talked about the

effect first of alcohol the frontal lobe

of your brain starts to be affected

around point zero one two point one zero

percent Diane Schuler had just over ten

drinks in her at the time that she died

her blood alcohol was 0.11

0.23% and the gastric contents were 0.25

percent alcohol levels I'm a

psychiatrist trained in general

psychiatry and then did additional

training in drugs and alcohol once you

start getting over point two then you

start getting into alcohol toxicity

that's the level where people are

showing up needing to show up in the ER

becoming unconscious having blackouts

and even going into coma and with the

marijuana on board one in one don't

equal two anymore

there they potentiate each other so then

she's got the effect of the marijuana as

well as the effect of the alcohol

alcohol may increase the absorption of

the marijuana so that people who drink

first may experience a stronger effects

so if she wasn't accustomed to drinking

and smoking at the same time the

marijuana affected her so much more than

she had anticipated and marijuana being

a hallucinogen your cognitive function

can get can deteriorate pretty rapidly

the THC which is the active gradient in

marijuana her level was 113 nanograms

per mil was very high so we were able to

tell based on research that she could

have smoked anywhere from 15 minutes to

an hour before she had this accident

Meryl

is our number one drug of choice after

alcohol or with alcohol it's in fact

it's outpacing alcohol as being found in

drunk drivers throughout the nation not

just here one thing that they mentioned

in these things about the pot I mean

what do you mean that's not true at all

it's not true at all on a rare occasion

she would but definitely not that

weekend absolutely not it was a signing

she used to relax was that something she

used for stress was it something she

used for on an occasion or on an

occasion to relax

that's all I'm not true everything here

is not true when did she use marijuana

cheese which was at work cheese's no no

it was I think mostly to be able to get

a good night's sleep I think it was

after everything was done close her eye

and laundry's done kids are in bed books

are read everything was done and maybe

she'd have some before she went to sleep

it wasn't like you would ever think she

you know you never look at her and think

she smoked pot but some people do

did she ever discuss it with you like

why she took it or what was it no I just

knew that she smelled the question is

why did she need to use marijuana to

help her relax to help her go to sleep

what was so painful for her there was

something in her life which was

uncontrollable basically from the age of

nine on if he cannot control what

happened at the time it happened they

themselves become hyper responsible

tightly-wound

and she was okay as long as she was in

control having a history of an early

loss or trauma definitely predisposes

one toward you know both mood disorders

and addictive disorders so statistically

she's at risk

the witnesses I interviewed had

encountered Diane Schuler's vehicle just

prior to the accident

they were getting off Pleasantville Road

to exit and they observed her coming at

them the wrong way

coming down the exit ramp at the cottage

it was literally as if we weren't even

on the road yeah she's coming toward us

you know I mean I'm blinking my lights

and beating the horn she's flailing and

we drove up on the grass because

otherwise we would have been head she

never put on a break she never even her

eyes didn't even move it was just I'm

going where I want to go I'm doing what

I need to do I'm I'm where I want to be

and then she went around the bend onto

the highway itself we know that Diane

Schuler enters the Taconic State Parkway

going south in the northbound lane

approximately 1.7 miles north of the

point of impact she drives this 1.7

miles at a high rate of speed and you

have half a dozen callers to 911 one

state police found one they believe she

got a northbound chronic visit anything

in the right lane going southbound nine

on one side I remember the Conn Express

where we discuss 800 exit 100 feet

there's a car going like 70 miles an

hour the wrong directions was very

surreal seeing it coming at you saw what

you had to do was you know thank God

there was nobody on the side I was able

to go over a couple of lanes as the van

came by me and I said at the time 70

miles an hour because it was speeding

right by that pin straight that like

inch straight wasn't doing this was dead

pin straight right after it happened

that's when I called 9-1-1

State Police now on yeah you got a guy

driving south on a North opticon o'clock

what boomer on I was in the left lane I

just pressed Pleasantville Road he's

going like a bat out should be already

on the same Parkway right now it's a

minivan State Police now along where's

emergency time on the constant thing on

the phone oh man that's going the top

down yeah yeah they're going out for it

yeah I just remember saying oh my god oh

my god I was just you know trying to you

know draw attention to get validation

from rich that maybe something peculiar

was there on the road my heart was going

about 200 you know beats a minute and

you know

to react quickly get out of the way and

then the car went past us it's like

playing chicken I mean she was going

straight on the road we saw something

coming at us we reacted removed she had

no reaction at all

she didn't sob she can slow down she

didn't move I thought it was someone who

was dead set on killing themselves good

afternoon I don't know if I can get up

here because I'm all white it's very

nice to meet you

thank you for making the trip we

appreciate it

okay the autopsy report and clue

includes chemical analysis toxicology

and I reviewed some witness statements

and police statements and I gained the

impression that the autopsy was done

properly and was done well so is there

anything that would based on the autopsy

account for this crash alcohol and

marijuana I feel we obviously don't know

much about this but she would not do

this there's something wrong with this

picture and I don't want her being a

poster child for drunk moms because she

would never do that you tell me my

sister does it my sister passed away I

tell you yes she probably was drinking

100% but this just wasn't Diane this

wasn't his wife she'd be the very one

that would like yell at us or kick our

butt what that we gonna do

I just feel which you know it's just

maybe my strong opinion is as soon as

they saw

alcohol it was all stopped okay she was

drunk she was high that's it categorized

that drunk mom driving five kids in the

car what about the abscess tooth V which

abscess tooth an abscess tooth could

that cause a stroke it doesn't that's

called a stroke in serious but based on

the autopsy there is none that I saw on

microscopy stroke in something like this

and it doesn't cause alcohol well could

that reading be a mistake due to other

medical conditions that people don't

know that she had good but the question

of the alcohol will always prevail so

say we exhumed the body and is really

bad acts

s tooth we have x-rays from years ago

but the question will still prevail

how did of course evil in the truth

maybe she had a stroke and by mistake

she thought that water and drank it we

don't if someone tells us we want to

know what physically happened to that if

she did have alcohol in her did she stop

and be incoherent and do something

medically happened to her that well

we're even willing to bet to say that

but there's no way if she was in a right

state of mind that she would go and take

that bottle so now have you tell me she

was having a stroke or she was

hallucinating or she was this was she

was that due to an abscess we're going

to have to live with that if she did

have an abscess she could have had such

pain she takes whatever is available to

alleviate the pain thinking no I don't

think so I think she wouldn't do me and

should either have to be not thinking

it's water when she's not thinking

clearly because she had to do that right

like I'm thinking okay so if you had a

tooth abscess what you could do is say

to yourself she had severe pain and she

had to alleviate that pain now not in an

hour now so she drank 1.9 in fact you

know no one who drank once a month maybe

look it really doesn't make sense my

trying to convince you you have to have

your satisfaction your satisfaction is

only if your goal is only be going to be

achieved if you send it to another

laboratory to redo it so that would be

the next step that's the only way I know

what to tell you and then also with and

then exhuming that's the way to go right

yep it's very frustrating people have

promised us the world that they were

going to find out get to the bottom and

retest everything do this and do that

and nobody has done anything in seen you

in three months

you mean when you say people you mean

however st8 it was supposed to get the

samples and send them to another lab to

check to you they get do it

not we don't know that's what we've been

asking for

right yep well we do appreciate you

looking at everything and doing this

thank you so much yeah you're welcome

I I sincerely hope that you'll find

peace for this

five o'clock

I need like 100 cigarettes

so

you look at me like that

you don't feel courage

Jew she'll charge it up that he's

willing to protest it

yeah I was a little surprised of how

very little surprise that he doesn't

think that was an error hopefully we'll

be pleasantly surprised no one like in

my family knows I smell this is good

Maria speaking I need to reach please

sure thank you to ease come in please

I had a conversation with the lab and

they indicated to me that um Tom Ruskin

had sent them the samples and that they

had given Tom Ruskin results but they

couldn't give me any further information

because that bull belonged to Tom Ruskin

and we would have to go through Tom

Ruskin to get that information I didn't

call to get the results they won't give

it to hook to Tom right yeah we did we

that's when we started to place all

those phone calls he didn't respond to

us they had to send me any samples

letters anything no we never heard from

him about any of that the biggest

problem I have in this case is what

happened with the investigator that's

something have to live with

so Danny couldn't call the lab even

though he retained Tom it seems crazy

but it seems to do the case

hi I can't pick beautiful right now so

please at the tone leave a message and

I'll call you back as quickly as I can

hi Tom its Jase you're a long time no

talk I really really really need to talk

to you and I really need you to call me

back thanks bye

just so much I push and I can do she

ain't taking care of my son and working

there's just so much I can do you know

it's getting old fast growth can house

everything next int if he was gonna be

in Alaska somewhere so how about a plane

I'm kidding but I just you know you so

much I can do he has different views and

it's black and white with him very black

and white and he has completely

different views about things and you

know I he's I don't get it I know it

sounds stupid but he's off all day you

know you're off all day you don't even

know fence you're even see Brian you

bring him to school you seen for five

minutes and you go I'm working 14 hours

and then I'm going over there and I'm

doing things like I don't understand

what you're doing to me like while

you're getting crazy you're off all day

it's driving me insane so I told him if

it's nonsense to us you're gonna go back

here and work that work during the day

you're gonna find out what a real

working parent feels like I said because

you haven't made right now and he's

driving and everyone is like waiting to

put their foot down Bo

like he doesn't realize how he comes off

sometimes like he'll be like Brian I'll

be looking somethings like clean it up

come on let's go and bright and he's

looking to picture mommy and Aaron and

he's and yeah yeah yeah yeah you're

right I miss them to go Bella but I said

you don't notice how you sound

you don't sound like oh the truck ride I

know you missed them on Bulova he said

what does not even bring him back here -

no this is life this is the way life is

now okay but she can cry you can cry we

can all try what is that gonna do well

let me you said

but the only positive thing is that we

got Brian in therapy because Brian was

having very bad meltdown the last month

extremely bit about mommy and he doesn't

want to hear it Dani but I spoke to the

pediatrician and the pediatrician told

them you have to get him enrolled so we

have an appointment tomorrow 10:30

I told him he has to work on forgiveness

but Diane because he doesn't have to

give her at all right now

for what's happened and reason why

doesn't forgive her as he said I never

wanted to have kids and this is where

I'm left right now and she was supposed

to do all this I said okay well it's

already pissed at her you know

everyone's pissed at her I said that's

okay

I simply you got to work through it and

he's like what's gonna work through this

is my life

this is it

there will never be a concrete answer

with absolute certainty which can be

given as to what what happened but to

several you know plausible hypotheses

is it possible that day in question she

was in so much pain she wanted

analgesics gelcaps

when there wasn't available because she

have her Nesta ties to physical pain but

maybe just taking one drink so she could

we relaxed enough to drive and then she

lost control and she does perspective as

to how much she was drinking

that kind of slippery slope does occur

and people who have a deep pain

sensitivity we cannot stand feeling

helpless and who feel they need to be

perfect and she has had reasons in her

life for all three did she consume an

initial small amount in her right mind

not impaired did she think because the

kids were there did she think she had to

get in a lot quickly and misjudged and

in fact shot her blood-alcohol

concentration up much higher than she

thought it would and then something

happened that she then consumed in a way

that was very dangerous and very unlike

her you know there was something beyond

intoxication did she have a florid

infection going on did she have a fever

that combined with the UM marijuana and

alcohol could certainly

precipitate a delirium

a brain event got triggered where she

was beyond poor judgment but she was not

in her right mind that we don't know

what she was thinking hearing feeling hi

Tom I do appreciate you calling me back

I thought always call you back yeah no I

was um I'm shit you know what Tom I'm

just so like I'm just so upset because I

don't know what happened

what what all I know is that when I

spoke to Therese that she said that we

needed you to get an approval to say

that you can release some things listen

let's put it this way all right as I

promised Danny we retested at the

beginning of last year and I devoted my

time because there was no additional

monies but I sent the results to them um

I never even heard back

and I hope Danny you well I was told I'm

not to pick up because at this point

they didn't feel they they didn't

believe that you were doing anything so

whatever that was that was trying to

give you the results of the test what to

do anymore

well we retested the samples and it came

back the same the toxicology in the

autopsy was correct

can't you see like how confused I am now

we'll never know if Diane purposely did

this we'll never know Tom you know I'm

just like spinning around in circles I

can understand I got one person saying

one thing I got another person saying

another thing and then I do believe that

Diane wasn't drinking and all I want to

do is prove that if she if there is

alcohol what happened to her all I can

tell you is all tested consistent if

Diane had drank and and I that day it's

just great

no me you tell me listen I've always

been straight with if you believe me or

not I can't help that I loose industry

and always believed you

well I will tell you one thing further

DNA was hers so what am I supposed to do

now - you tell many I'm now I'm

returning your call

they police I walk all that stop Yellin

nylon this is our house our city

military police officers are you out of

the scene right now just have any

injuries those we have fatality fatality

with response pants and the Falls manner

to instill possible

are we about four or five on to the

crossfire and a fatality yeah we're here

psychologies numerous fatalities we

forget one digit at four point one

northbound tonic 60 control all right

Diane Schuler drives against traffic for

1.7 miles in the fast lane never veers

seems to have a serene almost oblivious

look on her face and kills eight people

the worst accident in recent memory

Diane Schuler hits the Bastardi vehicle

the Bastardi vehicle Dan crashes into

vehicle number three and the Schuler

vehicle goes off the road down the hill

rotating and eventually begins to burn

a lady was screaming in Spanish there

was kids in the car so I went down the

hill with this other fella and we were

trying to get the door up the door went

opened we couldn't get the sliding door

we were looking for the driver we

couldn't find her the car was fully

engulfed in the front

were the first ones there and we just

kind of circled the coughing doors he

checked the other side I checked

driver-side it was locked I went around

and then ended up breaking the passenger

side window unlock the door

we finally got the door oh that guy I

was with he could open the door and our

body fell on top of our legs

but she fell out she like rolled into a

tool bus that was standing there I

literally had to step over her to reach

in for the kids and then we would just

concentrate on getting the kids out of

the burning car with it they were piled

on top of each other one of the thoughts

handed me the girl

I laid her down on the grass put my head

on her chest the era I talked to her I

prayed it Jesus now help I wake up

please make her wake up she won't wake

up

at 1:30 p.m. I got a phone call from the

traffic management center traffic was

completely stopped I had to drive on the

shoulder of the road to get there when I

got to the scene I saw a minivan which

was burnt in the median down a hill I

also saw two SUVs northbound on the

conic State Parkway these vehicles had

extensive damage to them some of the

people in the cars got involved and

actively tried to help some were on the

phone with 911 and some witches

screaming the scene was very chaotic

I proceeded to look for any other signs

of life from the other victims and I

immediately noticed a little boy fine

was hurt he was hurt pretty badly he was

combative he was crying which is a good

sign and that's why I immediately put

him in the first ambulance

I didn't even know he was there when he

was underneath everybody thank God he

was underneath then I went to the top of

the hill and I lost it started crying

and I tried to go help the other fellows

I windows a car crash

and they were dead I felt all the pulses

they were dead they were hang one

thought I was hanging out of the car

there were some people that did attempt

to take pictures of the victims which we

wouldn't allow we put sheets up to

preserve their dignity it was the only

thing we could have done at that point

there was no one would help

you

Jackie sent this car to heaven it says

hi Evan I miss seeing you Brian and your

mom and whole family Warren and I are

broken but you need to go and have a

happy life

by doing this you will show Brian that

he can do the same my life ended July 26

2009 for whatever reason my purpose for

living was taken when you have children

one day you will understand you live and

breathe for your kids

Lauren is having a hard time all the

women in his life have left him and he

won't let me out of his sight I pray all

pain and soon and I can see my girls

give Brian a hug and kiss and know that

you are a great person with a lot to

give love Jackie

whatever happened in this tragedy there

was no evidence that Diane Schuler was a

bad person what evidence we have is that

she was a very good mom and a very good

person generally maybe a bit too good a

bit of a perfectionist I don't see any

evidence that what she did was

intentional given the fact that she was

generally someone with very high

standards for herself was something very

socially connected she had good

protective factors so even if she had

found out some horrible news

I don't see it likely that she would

kill herself especially not in the

manner that this tragedy occurred that's

how to imagine isn't it that simple

coincidences it can be a major tipping

point it can resolve the major

catastrophes not something that we all

built as human beings to be able to live

with

gee don't worry

booster

you

you

you

you