Lone Survivor in Taconic Wrong-Way Crash Home From Hospital
5-year-old boy was lone survivor in horrific crash
Thursday, Oct 8, 2009 | Updated 12:36 PM EST
NBCNewYork.com
Bryan Schuler (L) was the only survivor in the crash that killed his mother, sister, three cousins and three men in another car.
The 5-year-old lone survivor of a highway crash that killed eight people is recovering at his Long Island home after two months in hospitals.
A private investigator who represents the family, Thomas Ruskin, says Bryan Schuler still has "very severe'' head injuries.
Bryan's mother, Diane Schuler, drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway north of the city in July. The Long Island mother died along with Bryan's sister, three cousins, and three Yonkers men in the vehicle she hit.
The medical examiner found that Schuler, 36, had a blood alcohol level of 0.19 -- more than twice the legal limit -- and had smoked pot less than an hour before she drove nearly two miles the wrong way on the Taconic and plowed into an SUV.
Schuler's family has steadfastly disputed those toxicology findings and filed a request to have her body exhumed for further evaluation.
But the medical examiner's office said that normal chemical changes over six weeks could mean different levels of alcohol and marijuana than in its original autopsy.
Daniel Schuler's investigator, Tom Ruskin, said his experts believe new test results should be very close to the originals.
Co-workers at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration have donated vacation time so that Daniel Schuler will be able to care for his son into November.
