Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised.
The HBO documentary There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane explores how Diane Schuler crashed her minivan into a sports utility vehicle while returning from a camping trip in July 2009. The accident killed eight people, including Schuler and three men in the other car. Schuler’s toxicology report indicated a high blood-alcohol level in her body, following which authorities ruled this case a homicide and initiated a criminal investigation. However, they soon announced that no criminal charges would be filed in the Taconic State Parkway Crash.
The autopsy further noted that Diane Schuler had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent. The report stated that she had six grams of alcohol in her stomach at the time of the accident. Moreover, The New York Times mentioned that she ingested marijuana-related chemicals before sitting behind the steering wheel. Citing the report, the publication stated that the medical examiner found 13 nanograms per milliliter of tetrahydrocannabinol in her system. Additionally, the medical examiner discovered alcohol in her brain and urine.
The observations made in the report compelled investigators to rule out this case as a homicide. Although they started a criminal investigation, authorities announced that they won’t be filing any criminal charges in the car crash case. The New York Times indicated that the only person who could have faced criminal charges died in the accident. The authorities said, “Diane Schuler, as you know, died in the crash, and the charges died with her.”
Did anyone survive the tragic car crash?
The tragic car crash killed eight people, including Diane Schuler, her nieces, and one of her children. The only person to survive the crash was Schuler’s five-year-old son Bryan. As per The New York Times, authorities escorted Bryan to the Westchester Medical Center, where he underwent treatment.
During the funeral of the victims, Bryan’s uncle called him a “miracle child” and told the attendees that he was getting stronger with each passing day. He said, “There is a miracle child in all of this, our dear nephew, Bryan, who is getting better and stronger by the day.”
Over 1,000 people reportedly attended the funeral held at the Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church.
What happened after the toxicology results came out?
After the results of the autopsy arrived, police announced that such a high level of alcohol would have made things difficult for Diane Schuler. Per another The New York Times report, the expert said, “She would have had difficulty with her perception, with her judgment, and with her memory. Around that level of alcohol, you also start to get what’s called tunnel vision, where your perception is changed so you can’t see peripherally all the time.”
Meanwhile, Schuler’s husband, Daniel, hired a private investigator to examine the autopsy report. Schuler’s husband and her loved ones denounced the claims of substance abuse, saying Schuler was never an alcoholic. NBC New York mentioned that the private investigator examined the report and claimed Schuler showed no signs of cirrhosis. This meant the woman driving the minivan was not an alcoholic.
However, the families of other victims were displeased with the statements made by Diane Schuler’s family members. Their attorney said that facts won’t change, and the truth is that Schuler was drunk when the accident took place. The attorney added, “The lengths these people are taking to deny reality are just astounding and painful to my clients.”
The 101-minute HBO documentary There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane examines the case in great detail and provides information about the tragic accident. The documentary is available to stream on HBO Max.
