Schuler tragedy: Family denial or hidden personal demons?
They're calling Diane Schuler the Taconic death driver now. Schuler, who drove the wrong way on the highway for nearly two miles until her vehicle hit another head-on. We know the story: She, her daughter, three nieces and three other adults were all killed in the crash and toxicology reports reveal that Diane, along with the THC (the active ingredient in pot), had a blood alcohol content of point-19, twice the legal amount, but it was actually worse. She had a ton more alcohol in her stomach that had yet to be metabolized into her blood stream --perhaps as many as 10 shots of 80 proof liquor-- which means she'd been drinking pretty recently before getting into the car and perhaps while in the car. Police found a small bottle of vodka in the wreckage.
But friends, neighbors, relatives and her grieving husband Daniel all question the toxicology report and say there's no way Diane was an alcoholic. There were never any signs she drank and that the accident had to be caused by something else: a stroke, diabetes, an aneurysm, a mysterious leg lump - anything but the booze and pot cops say drowned her system.
Diane's brother, the father of the three nieces, said she called him to say she was having difficulty driving. He advised her to stay put so he could come get her but she kept going. She crashed a half hour later.
It was after a threatened civil suit that Daniel hired an attorney, Dominic Barbara (who's more famous for showing up on the Howard Stern show than for winning cases). Barbara defended Diane in a lengthy press conference. Daniel himself spoke, sobbing as he called Diane a perfect wife and outstanding mother who he would marry again tomorrow.
