Taconic van accident---

[JessicaR]

Diane Schulers husband trying to prove illness.

The husband of Taconic death driver Diane Schuler wants his wife's body exhumed for an independent autopsy today, a source close to the family told the Daily News.

A desperate Daniel Schuler will announce today he doesn't believe investigators' claims that his wife was in perfect health during the 90-mile hellride, the source said.

He blames diabetes, a tooth abscess or possibly a stroke for the reckless behavior that left eight people dead and three families in mourning.

Schuler's husband insists she did not have a substance abuse problem, the source said.

He contends she drank "maybe two pina coladas a year" and that the only way to explain the drinking and drugging is that she wasn't in her right mind.

His theory is that she had a stroke, possibly stemming from diabetes. She had gestational diabetes in her last pregnancy, the source said.

The source said Schuler also had a severe mouth abscess that could lead to "brain infection."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...drug_find_vics_families_se.html#ixzz0NQ1yU5Pd

 

[Deb in IA]

A tooth abscess made her drink and get high?

Maybe she had a stroke, because she had gestational diabetes? And how long ago was her last pregnancy?

Unbelieveable.

 

[allison443]

I read that they already ruled out diabetes and a stroke during the original autopsy.
Her husband has already told the police that she smoked pot occasionally.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Such a sad story...I feel for her husband, having to deal with the loss of his wife and daughter and now having to try to defend her with an attorney. Poor guy.

..my heart also aches for all the other families as well

 

[diznygirl]

A tooth abscess made her drink and get high?

Maybe she had a stroke, because she had gestational diabetes? And how long ago was her last pregnancy?

Unbelieveable.

I'm guessing the vodka and pot was the help her deal with the pain of the toothache. Doesn't everyone?

He's grasping at straws. I'm guessing he knew she had already been drinking when she left, but he was used to it. Wouldn't surprise me either if they had an argument before she left. Maybe he's worried he will get sued for not doing anything?

 

[java]

That press conference was hard to watch. I can't imagine what it would be like to be standing there for that. But boy are they in denial."she is not an alcoholic"
"why was there an open vodka bottle in the van?"

"We don't know"

 

[sbell111]

Such a sad story...I feel for her husband, having to deal with the loss of his wife and daughter and now having to try to defend her with an attorney. Poor guy.

..my heart also aches for all the other families as well

Actually, I think that he's trying to defend himself. The dead almost never require criminal defense attorneys.

 

[Jennasis]

That press conference was hard to watch. I can't imagine what it would be like to be standing there for that. But boy are they in denial."she is not an alcoholic"
"why was there an open vodka bottle in the van?"

"We don't know"

I is VERY possible she was not an alcoholic. If I had to hazard a guess, it sounds like she was suffering from some sort of mental issue (depression, etc) and was trying to commit suicide.

 

[krcit]

A tooth abscess made her drink and get high?

Maybe she had a stroke, because she had gestational diabetes? And how long ago was her last pregnancy?

Unbelieveable.

Why is it unbelievable? I don't know understand how so many people are convinced that this woman was a raging alcoholic and everyone had to know. I know someone who knew her quite well and can tell you that people are shocked that she was drinking and driving. maybe the poor man is grasping at straws-can you blame him?? The mother of your children is dead, she is responsible for the loss of your daughter, your nieces and 3 men. Who would want to believe that about the woman they loved? It is about the saddest story I have ever heard and people blaming her brother and her husband doesn't help anything at all. I'm putting all my energy into praying for those left behind and the souls of those who died.


I also have no medical background but doesn't having gestational diabetes make you more prone to developing diabetes later on? I also had a very good friend who had a brain infection-he was slurring, losing his balance and forgetful. I highly doubt that this woman had any of these problems but I can't blame the family for trying to get to the bottom of this horrific tragedy.

 

[Deb in IA]

Why is it unbelievable? I don't know understand how so many people are convinced that this woman was a raging alcoholic and everyone had to know. I know someone who knew her quite well and can tell you that people are shocked that she was drinking and driving. maybe the poor man is grasping at straws-can you blame him?? The mother of your children is dead, she is responsible for the loss of your daughter, your nieces and 3 men. Who would want to believe that about the woman they loved? It is about the saddest story I have ever heard and people blaming her brother and her husband doesn't help anything at all. I'm putting all my energy into praying for those left behind and the souls of those who died.


I also have no medical background but doesn't having gestational diabetes make you more prone to developing diabetes later on? I also had a very good friend who had a brain infection-he was slurring, losing his balance and forgetful. I highly doubt that this woman had any of these problems but I can't blame the family for trying to get to the bottom of this horrific tragedy.

I never said she was an alcoholic and that everyone knew it.

What I am saying is that it is unbelieveable that a toothache or a long ago history of gestational diabetes could have caused this.

What is unbelieveable is that the family can be looking to blame anything, everything but the one who is responsible. Yes, they are grieving, yes they are in pain, and yes, the lawyers have gotten involved.

But these outlandish claims are unbelieveable.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

...I highly doubt that this woman had any of these problems but I can't blame the family for trying to get to the bottom of this horrific tragedy.

Agreed. I don't see a family cover-up here (though I do not know). I see a family desperate for answers. Even if she was an alcoholic and they suspected, they would still be in denial right now.

Grief is a powerful thing...

 

[java]

Yes I think they are focusing on symantics- She isn't an alcoholic - therefor she couldn't have been drunk.
Well I'm not an alcoholic but I've been drunk on occassion- I don't get behind the wheel of a car though.

 

[luvmy3]

A tooth abscess made her drink and get high?

Maybe she had a stroke, because she had gestational diabetes? And how long ago was her last pregnancy?

Unbelieveable.

I didn't get the impression they were blaming the gestational diabetes, but they were just stating she had it in the past. I believe that increases your chances of becoming a diabetic later, after your pregnancy. If I were the husband, lost my wife and children in this way I would be looking for any reason, starting with physical/mental and then going from there.
I can't imagine what he is going through and I have no problem giving him a pass for grasping at straws to explain what happened. I hope he is able to find closure even if it turns out to be something he just can't fathom.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

The family is not responding to the scientific evidence that she was intoxicated and had marijuana in her system. Would a stroke or diabetes cause this? How can they account for 10 undigested alcoholic drinks in her stomach? Is there a rare disorder that converts something in a person's body into alcohol and marijuana?

This was such a tragic loss of so many lives.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Why is it unbelievable? I don't know understand how so many people are convinced that this woman was a raging alcoholic and everyone had to know.



**********

I also have no medical background but doesn't having gestational diabetes make you more prone to developing diabetes later on? I also had a very good friend who had a brain infection-he was slurring, losing his balance and forgetful. I highly doubt that this woman had any of these problems but I can't blame the family for trying to get to the bottom of this horrific tragedy.

It doesn't take an alcoholic to drive drunk and cause an accident. It takes a few drinks one time.

I am in the camp that all evidence revealed makes me believe that this was a suicide/homicide mission.

She likely could have been suffering from Post Partum Depression as well, but without her input there would be no way to come to a conclusion if she did or not. But who drinks Vodka like water and expects to arrive home safely?


The family has to get to the bottom of the tragedy b/c it is likely they will face a lawsuit. And who wants the family member they love been dragged through the mud? I don't blame them for wanting to reveal truth but there isn't a single accident on record where the victims medical condition contributed more than the bottle of liquor they might have drank to a collision.


I can't watch another Anthony family moment. At some point they will have to accept the evidence that her body had twice the legal limit of alchohol NOT including what was unmetabolized in her stomach. To stand blindly by when the scientific evidence is highly credible and claim that it was out of her control. It just makes me sick.

Who is ill and drinks a bottle of alcohol while driving?

I do know how she drank it that quickly though--Vodka has no taste.

Regardless--she didn't belong behind the wheel of the car and the victims families are entitled to make sure that her family didn't contribute to the accident by pretending she was okay if she wasn't the last time they saw her. The husband specifically--the brother did everything he had the power to do and God Bless him for trying! (I'm not saying the husband is at fault, but rather the victims are entitled to make sure that he didn't knowingly let his wife get behind the wheel of a car.)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If I were the husband, lost my wife and children in this way I would be looking for any reason, starting with physical/mental and then going from there.

I can't think of a single drunk driving death where the family of the victim had any sympathy for physical/mental factor that caused them to drink.

It pretty much is irrelevant. Alcohol got in their system by choice.

My brother's partner lost his sister to a drunk driver. She was a cop. The cop community has no patience for that crap.

 

[luvmy3]

The family is not responding to the scientific evidence that she was intoxicated and had marijuana in her system. Would a stroke or diabetes cause this? How can they account for 10 undigested alcoholic drinks in her stomach? Is there a rare disorder that converts something in a person's body into alcohol and marijuana?

This was such a tragic loss of so many lives.

I don't believe he's claiming she didn't have alcohol or pot in her system. He is looking for the reasons to explain her reckless behavior (i.e why she got that drunk and high and then got in a car and drove with all those children.)

 

[krcit]

It doesn't take an alcoholic to drive drunk and cause an accident. It takes a few drinks one time.

I am in the camp that all evidence revealed makes me believe that this was a suicide/homicide mission.

She likely could have been suffering from Post Partum Depression as well, but without her input there would be no way to come to a conclusion if she did or not. But who drinks Vodka like water and expects to arrive home safely?


The family has to get to the bottom of the tragedy b/c it is likely they will face a lawsuit. And who wants the family member they love been dragged through the mud? I don't blame them for wanting to reveal truth but there isn't a single accident on record where the victims medical condition contributed more than the bottle of liquor they might have drank to a collision.


I can't watch another Anthony family moment. At some point they will have to accept the evidence that her body had twice the legal limit of alchohol NOT including what was unmetabolized in her stomach. To stand blindly by when the scientific evidence is highly credible and claim that it was out of her control. It just makes me sick.

Who is ill and drinks a bottle of alcohol while driving?

I do know how she drank it that quickly though--Vodka has no taste.

Regardless--she didn't belong behind the wheel of the car and the victims families are entitled to make sure that her family didn't contribute to the accident by pretending she was okay if she wasn't the last time they saw her. The husband specifically--the brother did everything he had the power to do and God Bless him for trying! (I'm not saying the husband is at fault, but rather the victims are entitled to make sure that he didn't knowingly let his wife get behind the wheel of a car.)

I totally understand what you are saying. I didn't mean to imply that she had to be an alcoholic to drive drunk-all it takes is one time to get behind the wheel. I just meant that I've been reading on some forums(This one included) that people are insisting that her family had to have known and putting blame on her husband and even her brother. I think the blame belongs solely on her(and of course if it is found out that someone knowingly let her drive, on them too) She left at 9:30, the accident happened at around 1:30-plenty of time for her to get falling down drunk. It just boggles the mind though, it really does. I don't know how the poor family will ever get on with their lives. I have such sympathy for them.

 

[Becky2005]

I will agree with the others that it's very possible that the brother & husband had no clue about the wife's drinking.

We had a situation in our family that later revealed my in-laws were alcoholics and I had no clue! My DH didn't have a clue either. We had been married about 8 years before the incident -- I NEVER saw them drink anything alcoholic at all. They didn't drink at our wedding, they didn't drink at 4th of July parties where I know beer was available. Now DH & I are tea-totallers, so we don't drink at all either. I never gave it a thought.

So when everything came out -- I was shocked that they even drank much less considered alcoholics and even MORE shocked that my MIL may have possibly been addicted to pain killers. I was totally freaked because I had allowed her to drive my DD!! However, I could see the brother allowing her to drive the kids if he had no idea & no reason to suspect she would do anything to harm the kids.

In our case, there was no vehicle accidents involved just internal within the family.

I would definitely get a lawyer if I were her husband because unless it happens to you, everyone assumes things are obvious when in reality that's not necessarily true. A lot of people assumed we knew what was going on & we truly had no clue about any of the stuff. Although, after our situation -- I would be the one to get a lawyer first for just about everything even though I know everyone thinks you don't need one if you aren't guilty.

 

[luvmy3]

I can't think of a single drunk driving death where the family of the victim had any sympathy for physical/mental factor that caused them to drink.

It pretty much is irrelevant. Alcohol got in their system by choice.

My brother's partner lost his sister to a drunk driver. She was a cop. The cop community has no patience for that crap.

I'm not quite sure what you are talking about? Are you saying this husband/father doesn't deserve answers because his wife was willingly drunk? Are you saying he doesn't deserve sympathy because his wife willingly got drunk killed herself and her children, plus 5 others? If so I'll have to disagree. Until there is any evidence saying that this husband knew she was drinking and driving I'll have as much sympathy for him as I do for any other family members of the other victims that lost their lives.