Insight from bartenders near Diane Schuler?s home and office may support claims she wasn?t an alcoholic, or they could just show she kept a substance abuse battle hidden.
Dennis Ravache, owner of a pub a block from Schuler?s West Babylon home, says he never saw her come in for a drink. Bartenders at B.K. Sweeney's, Jackie Reilly's and The Main Event near the Bethpage Cablevision offices Schuler worked at echo those sentiments.
An autopsy showed Schuler was drunk and high on marijuana when she caused the crash that killed eight people on the Taconic Parkway. Schuler?s husband refutes claims she abused drugs or alcohol.
Neighbor and drug counselor Bob McClellan says its possible Schuler?s problems stayed below the surface.
Could somebody see the signs and not know what they are, you know, absolutely. Alcoholic behavior is so unpredictable like what happened,? says McClellan.