Anybody watch hbo documentary about LI woman who drove wrong way/crashed...

[Anonymous]

I just have to say, that link to the article written by the mother of the three girls who died is just so moving and beautiful. It's really worth reading whatever your feelings about this story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just have to say, that link to the article written by the mother of the three girls who died is just so moving and beautiful. It's really worth reading whatever your feelings about this story.

I agree. I got teary-eyed reading it.

[Anonymous]

I saw the documentary on Monday and the husband is a total ass - in denial to the nth degree.
Completely oblivious to the fact that 2 independent toxicology tests have indicated the same thing - she was drunk and high.

Now he is trying to raise money to get her exhumed and redo all the tests. And he is stressed out with caring for the kid but continues to work night shift, and the SIL is picking up a lot of the slack.

The photos of the woman's body after the crash were horrific.

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I turned it off after about 2 mins. It looked like it was going to try to make excuses for what she did, and it sounds like it did. I was visiting family on LI when it happened, and it was excruciating to hear about. It was a preventable tragedy. If the uncle is suing, I hope he is countersued for something. It's ridiculous that he is suing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the family HAS to convince themselves that there is some "other" explanation for Diane's behavior.

If they knew she was an alcoholic or had been drinking before getting in the car, how could they live with the guilt of allowing those children to get in the car? It just compounds the already unimaginable pain of the loss of those children. I think sometimes people need to believe something so badly that they really do, deep in their hearts, come to believe that it's true - at an unconscious level, these people just cannot allow themselves to think that they should have picked up on some signs that something was wrong or that it wasn't safe to allow her to drive the children. I think that now, there is no way any evidence will prove to them that Diane was not who they believe she was. And I don't blame them for doing this; I think any of us could do the same thing rather than allow ourselves to think that we could/should have prevented the deaths of our children.

I think one of the saddest parts of this story is that she actually did pull over and speak to her brother. He told her to stay put and that he was on his way, and the girls' mother called 911 immediately, but unfortunately, no one could get to her before she managed to start driving again. And apparently the place she pulled over was just across the road from the state police headquarters or something? There was a vodka bottle found in the car in front of the front passenger seat. I think she was drinking - a lot - in the car, and that's how she went from seemingly ok (had a coherent phone conversation with her SIL) to slurring her words & obviously incapacitated (so much so that the children were crying in the back of the car) in such a short period of time.

I missed that part in the documentary...did they talk about that? I did get distracted in the middle but I guess I missed that part...what did she say to her BIL/SIL?

[Anonymous]

We saw this last night and I have been obsessed about it all morning. I am sure she was a highly functional alcoholic that viewed her pot/drinking time as just "hers." I also thought it was interesting that no one in her life really knew her. Her closest friends and co-workers only seemed to know surface-y things about her. Her husband said she never talked about her own mother leaving when she was 9. He didn't even know the story, but they were together for 13 years. Does anyone think she may have been trying to pull a Susan Smith with the kids in the car? I thought of this when the witnesses said she had a determined look on her face as she was rocketing down the freeway. It's just all so sad. Truly gripping tale and very well done.

I'm glad to hear the mother of the three kids is expecting again. It's interesting that they (the Hances) didn't want to be part of the documentary at all, no?

[Anonymous]

If the DH's theory is that the pot was tainted wouldn't that have shown up in the toxicology reports? If they could detect the alcohol & the marijuana wouldn't they be able to detect any other chemicals in her body as well?

[Anonymous]

One thing I don't understand. Why is her husband suing the Hance's over the vehicle? I don't understand.

The documentary: her family is desperately trying to find an excuse. It is obvious listening to her friends and family that she had big time issues. A complete control freak. I think she had been self-medicating for a long time. Her friends knew she smoked pot to go to sleep -- who does that? That is not normal. I think she started drinking and consumed more than she realized and it got waaay out of hand that day. There were so many things she could have done differently that day and changed the complete outcome. I think she panicked -- she knew if she stopped and let her family get her then her secret was out and on the table. I also think the way her family reacted to her calling that day is also telling. They all scrambled into action like they knew something bad was coming -- I don't think my friends or family would have reacted so strongly to me calling and saying I wasn't feeling good. Kind of makes you wonder if they didn't know she had problems?

Her husband is an ass and needs help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw the documentary on Monday and the husband is a total ass - in denial to the nth degree.
Completely oblivious to the fact that 2 independent toxicology tests have indicated the same thing - she was drunk and high.

Now he is trying to raise money to get her exhumed and redo all the tests. And he is stressed out with caring for the kid but continues to work night shift, and the SIL is picking up a lot of the slack.

The photos of the woman's body after the crash were horrific.

I didn't think they needed to show those photos. Not necessary and really traumatic to view.

[Anonymous]

1. Regarding Danny Schuler suing the BIL because of the van: insurance follows the car, not the driver. And since Danny is blinded by denial he is suing others who MUST be at fault, since his perfect wife wasn't drunk/high.

2. The more I think about after seeing the documentary and reading articles, I think she was trying to kill herself and drank that much/smoked to work of the nerve. Why she did it with the kids in the car is what I cannot figure out.

[Anonymous]

Why didn't the BIL sue Diane's estate in a civil suit? Isn't there SOME kind of wrongful death action they could bring?

[Anonymous]

They have sued the SIL's estate. There are numerous suits in this:


www.wpix.com/news/wpix-taconic-crash-lawsuit,0,6111162.story?track=rss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been known to throw a few back and would NEVER get into a car with children. Ever. That is why I could almost believe the theory that some other pain was making her crazy.

Um, I really hope you would also never get into a car WITHOUT children after throwing back a few. While your children may be safe if you drink and drive without them, mine may not be when you plow into my car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been known to throw a few back and would NEVER get into a car with children. Ever. That is why I could almost believe the theory that some other pain was making her crazy.

Um, I really hope you would also never get into a car WITHOUT children after throwing back a few. While your children may be safe if you drink and drive without them, mine may not be when you plow into my car.

Jesus tapdancing christ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We saw this last night and I have been obsessed about it all morning. I am sure she was a highly functional alcoholic that viewed her pot/drinking time as just "hers." I also thought it was interesting that no one in her life really knew her. Her closest friends and co-workers only seemed to know surface-y things about her. Her husband said she never talked about her own mother leaving when she was 9. He didn't even know the story, but they were together for 13 years. Does anyone think she may have been trying to pull a Susan Smith with the kids in the car? I thought of this when the witnesses said she had a determined look on her face as she was rocketing down the freeway. It's just all so sad. Truly gripping tale and very well done.

I'm glad to hear the mother of the three kids is expecting again. It's interesting that they (the Hances) didn't want to be part of the documentary at all, no?

The husband is suing them, because it was their minivan she was driving.