Daniel Schuler is the widower of Diane Schuler, the Long Island woman who drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway on July 26, 2009, killing herself and seven others. In the years since, Diane Schuler’s husband has publicly rejected the toxicology findings that his wife was drunk and high, filed lawsuits against New York State and his own brother-in-law that drew widespread criticism, and has largely stepped back from the spotlight while raising the couple’s son Bryan, the only child who survived the crash.
Who Daniel Schuler Is
Daniel Schuler lost his two-year-old daughter Erin in the crash and nearly lost his five-year-old son Bryan, who survived with permanent injuries to his eyes, arms, and legs.1Courthouse News Service. Another Claim in Wrong-Way Deaths of 8 His wife had been driving a Chevrolet Trailblazer borrowed from her brother-in-law, Warren Hance, with five children inside when she entered the parkway going the wrong direction and struck an SUV head-on near Briarcliff Manor. Diane, her daughter, her three nieces, and three men in the oncoming SUV all died.2People. We May Never Know Why Diane Schuler Drove Minivan Into Taconic Traffic, Says Investigator
No criminal charges were ever filed. Prosecutors concluded that any charges died with Diane.1Courthouse News Service. Another Claim in Wrong-Way Deaths of 8
His Public Defense of His Wife
The Westchester County medical examiner found Diane Schuler’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit, with six grams of unmetabolized alcohol in her stomach and high levels of THC in her system. A broken bottle of Absolut vodka was recovered from the wreckage.3CNN. Toxicology Report on Taconic Crash Driver
Daniel Schuler refused to accept those findings. He told reporters his wife was “not a drinker” and “not an alcoholic,” said he had never seen her drunk, and insisted a medical emergency had caused the crash. He floated theories including a stroke, gestational diabetes, and an abscessed tooth. His attorney at the time, Dominic Barbara, suggested “something happened to her brain.”4ABC7 New York. Taconic Crash Driver’s Husband Speaks Out The Westchester autopsy ruled out stroke, heart attack, and aneurysm.
He hired private investigator Thomas Ruskin to review the autopsy and arranged DNA testing against a toothbrush sample to confirm the lab specimens were actually Diane’s.5NBC New York. Taconic Mom’s DNA to Be Extracted From Toothbrush He appeared on “Larry King Live” to announce plans to have her body exhumed.6ABC News. Taconic Crash Victim’s Son Responds to Daniel Schuler Former New York City chief medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden said publicly that an exhumation would reveal nothing new about alcohol or drugs because no blood would remain.7Newsday. Investigator, Daniel Schuler and Family Will Run DNA Tests on Diane Schuler The private investigator’s testing ultimately confirmed the original toxicology results.8Roar Engineering. Diane Schuler Accident Reconstruction
The HBO Documentary
Daniel Schuler’s view became the emotional center of the 2011 HBO documentary “There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane,” directed by Liz Garbus. He gave extensive interviews maintaining that Diane was a conscientious mother who would never knowingly endanger children, and arguing again that a medical emergency, not intoxication, caused the crash. The film also documented the family’s unsuccessful effort to use a private investigator to clear her name.9THIRTEEN/MetroFocus. What Was Wrong With Aunt Diane
The Lawsuits He Filed
In July 2011, Daniel Schuler filed suit in Suffolk County Court on behalf of his surviving son Bryan and the estate of his daughter Erin. He sued New York State, alleging the Taconic was poorly designed and inadequately signed. He also sued Warren Hance, the owner of the borrowed Trailblazer, claiming the vehicle was faulty. The complaint further alleged that Guy Bastardi, one of the men killed in the oncoming SUV, had been driving recklessly in a vehicle in disrepair.10CBS News New York. Report: Widower Sues State After Tragic Wrong-Way Crash on Taconic Parkway1Courthouse News Service. Another Claim in Wrong-Way Deaths of 8
The decision to sue Warren Hance, the father of the three girls Diane had killed, drew public outrage from the Bastardi family and others.10CBS News New York. Report: Widower Sues State After Tragic Wrong-Way Crash on Taconic Parkway Daniel Schuler had earlier declined to serve as administrator of Diane’s estate, citing a conflict of interest because he expected to be named a defendant in the Bastardi family’s wrongful-death suit; a Suffolk County surrogate judge considered appointing the county’s Office of the Public Administrator instead.11Newsday. Daniel Schuler Seeks Distance From Taconic Crash Legal Woes
Jackie Hance, Warren’s wife and the mother of the three girls, filed her own suit against Daniel Schuler in New York State Supreme Court in Suffolk County. The complaint alleged her daughters suffered “terror, fear of impending death, extreme horror, fright, and mental anguish” before they died. Potential awards were subject to a lower-court cap of $25,000.12ABC News. Jackie Hance, Who Lost Daughters in Taconic Crash, Sues Daniel Schuler
Four civil suits filed in Westchester County State Supreme Court against Diane Schuler’s estate were settled with a disposition date of September 11, 2013. The terms are confidential and the records sealed. As of 2014, two additional cases over roadway design remained pending in the New York State Court of Claims. Attorney Kevin Grennan of Garden City represented Bryan Schuler and Erin Schuler’s estate.13Newsday. Four Civil Suits Against Diane Schuler Estate Settled
His Trouble With Dominic Barbara
Daniel Schuler’s original attorney became a problem of his own. Dominic Barbara was investigated by the Nassau County district attorney over allegations he took $56,000 from Schuler. According to reports, Barbara received $100,000 from a life insurance policy and another $10,000 from Schuler while claiming to represent him pro bono. Only $34,000 was reportedly used for legal fees, and Barbara returned $20,000 of the missing funds. By March 2011, Barbara had already been suspended from practice for 18 months for professional misconduct.14New York Daily News. Husband of Taconic Parkway Wrong-Way Driver Out $56K Held by Well-Known Attorney
Where Daniel Schuler Is Now
Daniel Schuler has raised Bryan on Long Island since the crash. Bryan survived with an ocular nerve impairment and permanent injuries to his arms and legs.12ABC News. Jackie Hance, Who Lost Daughters in Taconic Crash, Sues Daniel Schuler The family has not given significant public interviews in recent years, and Daniel has largely receded from the media attention that consumed his life in the period right after the tragedy.