Family shocked that mother was drunk before crash

FLORAL PARK, N.Y. - If Diane Schuler had a drinking problem, sheapparently was good at hiding it from those who were closest to her.

The 36-year-old mom, who was drunk on vodka and high on marijuanabefore driving the wrong way and causing a highway crash that killedherself and seven others, didn't appear intoxicated to people whosaw her before she began her trip and didn't give warning signs toclose family.

"This is the absolute last thing that we ever would haveexpected," Schuler's brother, Warren Hance, said in a statementWednesday.

Hance's three young daughters died along with Schuler, her 2-year-old daughter and three men in an SUV hit by Schuler's minivanin the fiery July 26 wreck on the Taconic State Parkway, about 35miles north of New York City. Schuler's 5-year-old son survived.

Schuler, a Long Island cable company executive, had a bloodalcohol level more than twice the state's legal limit and had beendrinking vodka and smoking marijuana shortly before the crash,according to toxicology reports released Tuesday.

State police said investigators didn't know of the drug oralcohol use at first, until they found pieces of a 1.75-liter bottleof vodka underneath debris from the burned-up vehicle days later.

They suggested they could learn much more about Schuler, whocalled her brother a half-hour before the crash saying she wasdisoriented, from family members they have already talked to,including her brother and husband. Cooperation has been "limitedthus far," state police Lt. Dominick Chiumento said.

In a statement read by family member Stephen Spagnuolo, Warrenand Jackie Hance said they were "shocked and deeply saddened" byreports that Schuler was drunk and high while driving their threeyoung daughters home from a weekend camping trip upstate.

"We would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel withsomeone who might jeopardize their safety," they said. "We havenever known Diane to be anything but a responsible, caring motherand aunt."

The operator of a campground where the Schuler family regularlystayed said she noticed nothing amiss when Schuler left at about9:30 a.m. on July 26 with her son, daughter and nieces.

"I've never seen her with a drink in her hand," Ann Scott, co-owner of the Hunter Lake Campground in Parksville, said Wednesday."If she had alcohol on her breath, I would have smelled it, believeme."

Scott said her campground does not ban alcohol, but she said thefacility is not a haven for partiers. Scott described the Schulersas "just a normal mom and dad with their kids."

Schuler's husband, Daniel, told investigators that everythingseemed fine when he and his wife left the Sullivan Countycampground, state police said. He went on a fishing trip while hiswife headed home with the children.

Daniel Schuler has not commented on the findings regarding hiswife, but attorney Dominic Barbara said Schuler would attend a pressconference on Thursday.

No criminal charges are planned, police said, although familiesof three Yonkers men, including a father and son who were driving inthe SUV to a family of dinner, consulted with Westchester Countyprosecutors Wednesday.

A lawyer for Michael and Guy Bastardi's family suggested criminalcharges might be possible against anyone who knew Schuler had beendrinking before the crash.

"I believe there is a strong fragrance of criminality," attorneyIrving Anolik told reporters after meeting with the districtattorney.