Tragic Wrong-Way Crash Possibly The Result of Drugs and Alcohol
Toxicology results have revealed that Diane Schuler, 36, was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of a horrific crash on the Taconic State Parkway in Briarcliff Manor, New York on July 26, 2009. Schuler was returning home from a camping trip when she drove her Ford Windstar minivan on the wrong side of the road and smashed head-on into a Chevrolet Trail Blazer. Among the dead were Schuler, her 2-year-old daughter and her three nieces ages 5, 7 and 8. The driver of the Trail Blazer, Guy Bastardi, his father and a family friend were also killed. The only survivor from the fiery crash was Schuler’s 5-year-old son who is hospitalized in stable condition.
An accident investigator indicated that at approximately 1 p.m. Schuler phoned her brother stating that she did not feel well and was “disoriented and had trouble seeing.” Her brother told her to pull to the side of the road and wait for him to come to her aid. Unfortunately, Schuler did not wait for her brother and drove directly into the unsuspecting oncoming traffic at about 1:35 p.m.
Come on, drinking and smoking with kids in the car? Drinking and driving is a huge problem. In Texas, about half of the vehicle fatalities are related to alcohol.
Information and commentary provided by Mark A. Anderson, Texas Injury Attorney. Please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for any questions.
