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NY Mom in Wrong-Way Crash Rarely Drank: Husband

By the Associated Press

Posted Aug 6, 2009 3:25 PM CDT
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(AP) – The woman who drove drunk and caused a New York highway crash that killed eight people rarely drank, said her husband, who suggested diabetes and other health problems were to blame. "She was not a drinker. She was not an alcoholic," Daniel Schuler said at a tearful news conference today. "Something medically had to have happened." Police say Schuler downed more than 10 vodka drinks and smoked marijuana before her minivan crashed into an SUV.

Schuler's attorney, Dominic Barbara, said the 36-year-old Cablevision executive had diabetes, a suspicious bump on her leg, and a mouth abscess that hadn't been treated for weeks before the July 26 wreck. "I think she had a stroke of some sort," said Barbara. "From the stroke came all the other issues." Schuler said that the couple went through a normal routine on the Sunday before he last saw her at a campsite in upstate New York. "She was fine," he said. "We had a cup of coffee in the morning, we packed the cars up like we always do and we headed out."

People watch as one of five caskets are carried out of Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church in Floral Park, N.Y.
People watch as one of five caskets are carried out of Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church in Floral Park, N.Y.   (AP Photo)
A group of men hug as caskets are loaded into hearses at Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church in Flora Park, NY, following funeral mass for those dead in the crash.
A group of men hug as caskets are loaded into hearses at Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church in Flora Park, NY, following funeral mass for those dead in the crash.   (AP Photo)
Daniel Schuler, left, arrives at the offices of attorney Dominic Barbara.
Daniel Schuler, left, arrives at the offices of attorney Dominic Barbara.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 9 comments
Shannonals
Aug 8, 2009 4:23 AM CDT
Outstanding comment deebles
Kookey90
Aug 7, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
The bottomline: Did she drink and smoke a joint the day of the accident? If this did not occur then medical conditions need to be considered as a probable cause. Unfortunately, this is all very tragic - RIP.
oldgoat
Aug 7, 2009 9:48 AM CDT
I hope that the husband is right, but right now it would be hard to argue against the test results. Maybe she was having a medical problem, but with the levels found it is hard to believe that it wasn't a part of the problem. If so he and insurance company are so screwed.

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New York City • alcohol • drunk driving • car crash • marijuana • stroke • Diane Schuler • Taconic Parkway

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