Lawyer: Schuler had temporary stroke

Attorney Dominick Barbara says Diane Schuler may have suffered from a temporary stroke before she drove the wrong way on the Taconic and crashed her minivan. That kind of stroke, called a transient ischemic

News 12 Staff

Aug 12, 2009, 12:13 AM

Updated 5,512 days ago

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Attorney Dominick Barbara says Diane Schuler may have suffered from a temporary stroke before she drove the wrong way on the Taconic and crashed her minivan.
That kind of stroke, called a transient ischemic attack, would not be detected by an autopsy. Early on, officials ruled out a medical reason for the July 26 crash that killed nine, but the family has maintained something went medically wrong.
The autopsy found high levels of a marijuana chemical in Schuler's body and a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.
Dr. Ron Kanner, chairman of neurology at North Shore LIJ, says a TIA can cause blurry vision and confusion. He says TIA is extremely rare in people in their 30s unless there is an underlying condition. It would be even rarer for TIA to cause binge drinking or drug use, Kanner says. Nassau Alliance for Addiction Services