What Went Wrong? The Mystery and Controversy of the 2009 Taconic State Parkway Crash

The 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash was a tragic traffic collision that occurred on July 26, 2009, in Mount Pleasant, New York. Eight people were killed and three were injured when a minivan driven by Diane Schuler, a 36-year-old mother of two, traveled in the wrong direction on the parkway and collided head-on with an SUV. The crash was the worst fatal motor vehicle crash to occur in Westchester County since 1934.

The investigation into the crash's cause revealed that Schuler was heavily intoxicated with both alcohol and marijuana at the time of the crash. Her husband, Daniel Schuler, denied that she had a substance abuse problem and challenged the toxicology results.

Background

Diane Schuler was born on November 13, 1972, in Floral Park, New York. She had a troubled childhood, as her mother abandoned her and her three siblings when she was nine years old. She was raised by her father and stepmother, who were strict and religious. She graduated from high school in 1990 and attended Nassau Community College, where she met Daniel Schuler.

They married in 1999 and had two children: Bryan, born in 2004, and Erin, born in 2006. Diane worked as the director of billing and collections at Cablevision, a cable television company, where she was described as a hard-working and responsible employee. Daniel worked as a security officer for the Nassau County Parks Department. They lived in West Babylon, Long Island, and enjoyed camping and fishing as a family.

On July 24, 2009, Diane and Daniel left for a weekend camping trip at Hunter Lake Campground in Parksville, New York, located in the Catskill Mountains. They were accompanied by their two children and their three nieces: Emma, Alyson, and Katie Hance, who were the daughters of Diane's brother Warren and his wife Jackie.

The families had a fun time at the campground, boating and fishing on the lake. On July 26, they packed up their belongings and prepared to return home. Daniel took his pickup truck with their dog and some luggage, while Diane took the Hance's minivan with the five children. They left the campground at around 9:30 a.m.

The Crash

At 9:56 a.m., Diane stopped at a McDonald's in Liberty, New York, where she bought food for the children and possibly an orange juice for herself. Security cameras showed her behaving normally and soberly. She left the McDonald's at 10:33 a.m. At 10:46 a.m., she stopped at a gas station, where she asked for pain pills but was told they did not sell them.

She returned to the minivan without buying anything else. Again, security cameras did not show any signs of intoxication or impairment.

At 11:37 a.m., Jackie Hance called Diane to check on their progress. Diane said they were delayed by traffic but did not sound distressed or slurred. This was the last known conversation that Diane had with anyone before the crash.

At some point after this call, Diane apparently consumed a large amount of alcohol and smoked marijuana while driving with the children. She also became disoriented and drove erratically, ignoring signs and directions from her GPS device. She entered the Taconic State Parkway from an exit ramp near Briarcliff Manor and began driving southbound in the northbound lanes at high speed. Several witnesses called 911 to report the wrong-way driver but no police officers were able to intercept her in time.

At 1:35 p.m., Diane's minivan collided head-on with a Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV that was carrying three men: Guy Bastardi, his father Michael Bastardi, and their friend Daniel Longo. The impact caused both vehicles to catch fire and hit another car, a Chevrolet Tracker driven by Robert Guzzo Jr., who suffered minor injuries.

The SUV occupants were killed instantly. In the minivan, Diane Schuler, her daughter Erin, and her nieces Emma, Alyson, and Katie also died on impact or shortly after. Only Diane's son Bryan survived the crash with severe head injuries.

Aftermath

The crash shocked the public and generated widespread media attention. The initial reports suggested that Diane Schuler may have suffered a medical emergency or a stroke that caused her to lose control of the vehicle. However, the autopsy and toxicology tests conducted by the Westchester County Medical Examiner revealed that she had a blood alcohol level of 0.19%, more than twice the legal limit, and a high concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system. The tests also ruled out any signs of a stroke, aneurysm, or heart attack.

The toxicology results were met with disbelief and denial by Daniel Schuler and his family. They hired a private investigator and a lawyer to challenge the findings and to suggest alternative explanations for Diane's behavior, such as diabetes, a tooth abscess, or an allergic reaction. They also claimed that Diane was not a heavy drinker or a drug user and that she was a loving and devoted mother and wife. They appeared on several national media outlets to defend Diane's reputation and to demand further investigation into the crash.

The Hance family, on the other hand, accepted the toxicology results and expressed their grief and anger at Diane Schuler for killing their three daughters. They filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Daniel Schuler and the estate of Diane Schuler, seeking compensation for their losses and suffering. They also established the Hance Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports programs for young girls and promotes self-esteem and education.

The crash also prompted legislative action to prevent similar tragedies in the future. In 2010, New York State passed the Child Passenger Protection Act, also known as Leandra's Law, which makes it a felony to drive while intoxicated with a child under 16 years old in the vehicle. The law also requires ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers.

The crash remains one of the most notorious and controversial cases of traffic fatalities in New York history.

References:

(1) 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash - Wikipedia.

(2) The 2009 Taconic State Parkway Crash: Aunt Diane Was Drunk And ....

(3) Remembering the Tragedy on the Taconic: 13 years later - News 12 Brooklyn.

(4) The Mystery Of Aunt Diane And The 2009 Taconic State Parkway Crash - Ranker.

(5) True Crime Society - Tragedy on the Taconic: Diane Schuler.