Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised.
The HBO documentary There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane revisits the case of Diane Schuler and the tragic Taconic Parkway Crash. Schuler, who was responsible for the crash that killed eight people, drove her mini-van the wrong way and crashed head-on with another SUV. Shuler’s mini-van was carrying five children, including her son Bryan, daughter, and three nieces. Bryan was the only survivor of the accident. Meanwhile, all three men in the SUV from the Yonkers-based Bastardis family died in the crash.
Schuler and the children were returning from a camping trip on July 26, 2009, when she drove in the wrong direction of nearly two miles. The ultimate result was the fatal Taconic Parkway Crash. Moreover, moments before the accident, one of the girls managed to call relatives, pleading for help. A relative then told 911 dispatchers that they said, “There’s something wrong with Aunt Diane,” further mentioning her erratic driving.
Reportedly, Diane Schuler’s autopsy revealed that she had no medical conditions that could have possibly caused the crash. The report also confirmed that she had alcohol in her brain, urine, blood, stomach, and eye fluid. The blood alcohol level was 0.19. Additional reports claim she had also smoked marijuana.
There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane: What was said in the 911 calls?
According to AP News, 911 calls before the Taconic Parkway Crash reveal details about the accident. As Diane Schuler drove two miles in the wrong direction, one of the girls in the car managed to call relatives, who then called dispatchers. In the 911 call, the relative mentioned that the girls claimed, “There’s something wrong with Aunt Diane,” in a distressing call. The girls were pleading for help.
Other details from the call revealed that the girls claimed that Diane Schuler wasn’t “feeling good.” The girl said that Schuler was “having trouble seeing” and “talking” and “we’re lost, Daddy.” One of Schuler’s three nieces present in the mini-van had made the call moments before the fatal crash that killed eight people.
The relative told 911 dispatchers, “The girls just called in distress,” reported ABC News. The relative added, “They said the aunt is driving very erratically. They think she’s sick.” The person tried calling back but the girls had gone “radio silent on the cell phones.”
Reportedly, a woman who had witnessed the Taconic Parkway Crash made another call moments later. The witness said, “Yeah there are [injuries]. There are like little kids. The kids [are] not moving. There’s a whole bunch of kids. Honestly the car’s smashed.”
There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane takes a detailed look at the tragic crash that killed eight people. The documentary is now streaming on Max.
