Did anyone watch the HBO documentary 'There's something wrong with Aunt Diane'?

[NHdisneylover]

I have not seen the documentary and probably will not since I doubt it will air in Germany. What strikes me from reading online is that the husband is in such deep denial about his wife's responsibility for this tragedy. If he has such a personality that he cannot admit or see these things it is possible he was equally in denial about her addictions and behaviours while she was alive too.

Honestly, she sounds to me like a perfectionist who held everything together "too well" for too long and did it partly by self medicating with drugs and alcohol but finally snapped in a terrible way and took a lot of innocent people with her when she did. It is very, very sad that those who knew her best and could have seen the issues if they cared to look deeper all missed them.

 

[Imzadi]

I have no idea who this person is or what her story was.

Do you not have TV or read the newspapers? This made national headlines for days, a year ago, & would definitely have been reported in PA.

Here are the pics from the crash that killed 8 people:

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/updates-on-the-taconic-crash-case-1.1508544

http://www.nydailynews.com/img/2009/08/30/450x317-alg_taconic_car_crash_wreckage.jpg

 

[okeydokey]

There is no dispute that more than one test had her level of alcohol twice the legal limit. She was impaired and had no business being behind the wheel.

If she was a controlling type person, though, I can see that she would never have wanted to pull over and call for help because then all her troubles and weaknesses (the alcoholism and drug use) would have been revealed. Poor choices, but she was the one responsible, not the street signs or the vehicle. The husband is in deep denial.

 

[sbsteel]

Did anyone else find something 'off' with the way his mom was talking about Diane and Danny's relationship? How Diane mothered him (he essentially went from one mom to another) and that she considered him to be her oldest child?

That said A LOT in my opinion and also gives us some explanation of why maybe he can't move on and cope with the reality of it all.

 

[msjprincess]

I was wondering about the stroke thing as the husband kept insisting, but wouldn't a stroke show up on an autopsy? Even if no stroke, wouldn't an infection show up on the autopsy, especially one that had been working in her system a while? I have had migraines my whole life. I know they can impair sight. There have been times when I was driving and pulled over so my husband could drive. If I was alone, I just pulled over and waited until I could see. I don't buy pain as an excuse. I have been in an amount of pain in the ER that had me begging the doctors to let me die. Never would I do drugs and alcohol and get behind the wheel of a car. Pain doesn't stop a person from having the ability to make those sort of decisions. They mentioned she was looking for painkillers in the convenience store, but I know I have never gone in a convenience store and they NOT have painkillers. Oh, and what about that convenience store stop? She stopped a at the pumps, but never got gas. What normal person does that?

If the little boy said mom couldn't see, then how was she able to stay in her lane and avoid swerving right up to the point of impact? Not many roads are straight as an arrow. I think the little boy may have meant mom did not see the car when she hit it. The dad and aunt are taking the words of a little boy too literally.

I can't stop thinking about the title of this documentary. I hear a little voice so frantic.

Especially the Taconic, it's very windy.

 

[Aisling]

What strikes me from reading online is that the husband is in such deep denial about his wife's responsibility for this tragedy.

"Bryan, now 7, is permanently disabled with severe injuries to his eyes, arm and legs,"

That little boy who survived and has to live with what he witnessed and his injuries...I wish his father would focus on HIM instead of suing everyone over this.

 

[Aisling]

http://nymag.com/news/features/62043/index3.html

This is a great article, detailing what happened from the start.

 

[SLK1]

DH recorded this, so I watched it today. Some observances:

1. This is not the type of woman I would be friends with. She sounds bossy, opinionated, and very, very Type A. Her husband's mother said that she "mothered" her own husband. But, if she was in THAT much pain from a tooth, requiring her to drink and smoke pot, would she not have mentioned it that morning? Something like, "I have GOT to get to a dentist, this pain is killing me!". It just doesn't add up.

2. Dr. Werner Spitz, the older guy, was the same guy who testified in the Casey Anthony trial about a "shoddy autopsy". The guy knows his stuff (although they decimated him during the trial), but he thought it was a thorough job and probably didn't need to be done again. He believed in the alchohol and pot being in her system and that she consumed it herself.

3. The lawsuits have to stop. Now I see that the families of the other men killed are suing Danny Schuler. When there is THAT much loss of life, you just have to realize that suing people isn't going to get you anywhere. What more do they want from Danny? He has NOTHING. And, Danny is suing his BIL???? Because the car malfunctioned? It's like he's gone off the deep end.

4. Nothing about this story makes sense. So she drank and smoked...but WHEN??? If the older girl called her dad, don't you think she would have said something, especially about the smoking?

5. Lastly, I was NOT prepared to see her mangled body at the end. That was a bit much. Not sure HBO really had to go there...

 

[NHdisneylover]

"Bryan, now 7, is permanently disabled with severe injuries to his eyes, arm and legs,"

That little boy who survived and has to live with what he witnessed and his injuries...I wish his father would focus on HIM instead of suing everyone over this.

Me too--it is what any decent parent would do.

 

[NikitaZee]

DH recorded this, so I watched it today. Some observances:

1. This is not the type of woman I would be friends with. She sounds bossy, opinionated, and very, very Type A. Her husband's mother said that she "mothered" her own husband. But, if she was in THAT much pain from a tooth, requiring her to drink and smoke pot, would she not have mentioned it that morning? Something like, "I have GOT to get to a dentist, this pain is killing me!". It just doesn't add up.

2. Dr. Werner Spitz, the older guy, was the same guy who testified in the Casey Anthony trial about a "shoddy autopsy". The guy knows his stuff (although they decimated him during the trial), but he thought it was a thorough job and probably didn't need to be done again. He believed in the alchohol and pot being in her system and that she consumed it herself.

3. The lawsuits have to stop. Now I see that the families of the other men killed are suing Danny Schuler. When there is THAT much loss of life, you just have to realize that suing people isn't going to get you anywhere. What more do they want from Danny? He has NOTHING. And, Danny is suing his BIL???? Because the car malfunctioned? It's like he's gone off the deep end.

4. Nothing about this story makes sense. So she drank and smoked...but WHEN??? If the older girl called her dad, don't you think she would have said something, especially about the smoking?

5. Lastly, I was NOT prepared to see her mangled body at the end. That was a bit much. Not sure HBO really had to go there...

Great observations - I agree with all of them. As for the ending I didn't expect them to show her dead body either, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. I wonder why they did that - to show what can happen if you drive drunk? I have to be honest, at that point in the movie I had a huge dislike for her, and even seeing that image didn't raise one iota of sympathy for her in my mind.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I remember this tragedy. Absolutely heartbreaking. I can't look at the children's pictures without getting a lump in my throat. Such a senseless series of events. Disastrous.

I did read an article by the SIL. It had a picture of her sitting on one of her girl's beds. She spoke with a lot of grace. She didn't say one bad word about her SIL. I don't know how she and her husband survive. It is a blessing that she and her husband are expecting.

My heart breaks for the victims, the children and their parents.

 

[MinnieTink]

I agree with you too, SLK1. I had read this thread before I even watched it, so I was aware that there would be pictures of Schuler's dead body, and yet I still squirmed. And I still cannot figure out why they would show them. Especially because it was her husband and family and friends in the movie, you would think they could have said No way, and let her retain the tiniest shred of dignity in death. Could it have been to try and gain sympathy from people? I just don't get why.... All I could think of is, I hope her son never ever sees this.

I also kept thinking I hope the Hance family never sees this either. So many moments I sat there wanting to yell at the tv, "Stop! Help!" so ridiculous but it was difficult seeing the car, knowing it was the last time all those kids were alive. And the guy who said he would have confronted her at the rest stop... I feel bad for him too. It must haunt him.

I am in touch with a close family member of Jackie's. (mom of Emma, Alyson and Kate). Though the pregnancy is quite a blessing, she still really really needs prayers so please include her if you can.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I watched the doc on Monday night when it premiered. I mostly kept thinking this guy is a jerk. He was either spoon fed by his wife or was abusive I don't know why but i just got an abusive vibe from him. There are many races that deny getting mental help they feel like you should be able to fix it yourself. I think this family had that mentality of "you don't talk about the family business you fix it within." Sadly this is what killed them all. They had to know this woman had an issue. Every picture they showed she was wearing dark sunglasses. The weight struggle is very much a pot smokers thing.

Her HS friends not being at her wedding was very questionable. I was taken aback by them showing her body but maybe someone else will see that and think twice before driving drunk. What tore me up was the father giving the eulogy. That was heart breaking.

 

[NikitaZee]

I agree with you too, SLK1. I had read this thread before I even watched it, so I was aware that there would be pictures of Schuler's dead body, and yet I still squirmed. And I still cannot figure out why they would show them. Especially because it was her husband and family and friends in the movie, you would think they could have said No way, and let her retain the tiniest shred of dignity in death. Could it have been to try and gain sympathy from people? I just don't get why.... All I could think of is, I hope her son never ever sees this.

I also kept thinking I hope the Hance family never sees this either.So many moments I sat there wanting to yell at the tv, "Stop! Help!" so ridiculous but it was difficult seeing the car, knowing it was the last time all those kids were alive.And the guy who said he would have confronted her at the rest stop... I feel bad for him too. It must haunt him.

I am in touch with a close family member of Jackie's. (mom of Emma, Alyson and Kate). Though the pregnancy is quite a blessing, she still really really needs prayers so please include her if you can.

I know what you mean. The way the documentary was filmed, with the following of her route overhead, and that haunting music, made it feel to me like it was happening right then and you just wanted to stop it.

 

[ez]

I saw this the other day. One thing I want to mention, is when they show her at the convenience store/gas station, and her sister in law is watching it saying how she was perfectly fine. They stopped the footage as she started to pull away. I actually had seen this clip prior, somewhere on the internet, and it showed her getting into traffic and it appeared that she was driving extremely aggressively even then, like pulling out into traffic in what appeared to be an aggressive and dangerous manner. Has anyone else seen this whole clip of her actually pulling away and getting into traffic? I was surprised when they didnt show the whole clip in the documentary, I felt like they left something important out.

 

[s&k'smom]

I wasn't going to watch the doc. but stumbled upon it this afternoon, it had already started but it pulled me immediately. I couldn't stop watching, in the end something bad happened to good people. Was she a bad person I don't think so but after all this time trying to find some answers that may never come seems to be the biggest issues. Know healing will ever take place if they continue to pursue some answers that the experts have given over and over again. It truly broke my heart to watch this. The one thing that struck me was how angry her husband was, it was like you could feel it come off the screen. Very sad.

 

[surfergirl602]

i was able to finally catch it this afternoon, too. I recorded it, I will watch it when the kiddos aren't around.

 

[Lorix2]

DH recorded this, so I watched it today. Some observances:

1. This is not the type of woman I would be friends with. She sounds bossy, opinionated, and very, very Type A. Her husband's mother said that she "mothered" her own husband. But, if she was in THAT much pain from a tooth, requiring her to drink and smoke pot, would she not have mentioned it that morning? Something like, "I have GOT to get to a dentist, this pain is killing me!". It just doesn't add up.

2. Dr. Werner Spitz, the older guy, was the same guy who testified in the Casey Anthony trial about a "shoddy autopsy". The guy knows his stuff (although they decimated him during the trial), but he thought it was a thorough job and probably didn't need to be done again. He believed in the alchohol and pot being in her system and that she consumed it herself.

3. The lawsuits have to stop. Now I see that the families of the other men killed are suing Danny Schuler. When there is THAT much loss of life, you just have to realize that suing people isn't going to get you anywhere. What more do they want from Danny? He has NOTHING. And, Danny is suing his BIL???? Because the car malfunctioned? It's like he's gone off the deep end.

4. Nothing about this story makes sense. So she drank and smoked...but WHEN??? If the older girl called her dad, don't you think she would have said something, especially about the smoking?

5. Lastly, I was NOT prepared to see her mangled body at the end. That was a bit much. Not sure HBO really had to go there...

I am still trying to shake that image of her dead body also. I hit fastforward b/c I was afraid they might show the children. WHY was it necessary to show that? The burned minivan hit the point home that she and the others were dead. Notice the vodka bottle in the wreckage? this is just so tragic and sad. What else could have mimicked that BAC or the THC in her system that high? Her DH needs to face the facts as painful as it is.

 

[AKpooh]

i just finished watching this and the thing that gets me is if she was that sick why didnt her husband notice anything going on when they were camping?

as for the rest the husband needs to pull his head out and deal with everything rather than grasping at straws. he needs to take care of his son and stop all the useless lawsuits. He said on the documentary that his life was his son and work but the sister-in-law was the one taking care of the son. it took the sil to get the little boy therapy.

knowing what i know about drug and alcohol abuse she had to smoke and drink that alcohol at some point after leaving the camp ground.

everyone seems to be in denial about so many things.

my heart goes out to the families that lost their family members and those little girls that never had a chance. that little boy is going to have to live the rest of his life knowing what his mom did and knowing his father never wanted him.

 

[Bungle]

I watched this on demand earlier. I just can't get the thought out of those scared kids crying out of my mind. They must have been terrified.