We have now found out why Diane Schuler drove two miles the wrong way on New York's Taconic State Parkway before slamming into another vehicle and killing eight people - herself, her 2-year-old daughter, her three nieces and three men in the other vehicle - in Westchester County's worst accident in 75 years.

Naïvely, when I first heard about the accident, I wondered what had happened.

Duh!

She was drunk, of course, like most people who cause the carnage on our roads.

Indeed, not only was her blood alcohol level 1.14, but she had raw alcohol in her stomach - ie: she had been boozing at least 15 minutes before the accident - in addition to traces of marijuana in her bloodstream.

And the accident occurred early Sunday afternoon which apparently was party time for Ms. Schuler.

My ire at her irresponsibility was refired by a recent segment on CBS' 60 Minutes devoted to Kathleen Rice, district attorney of New York's Nassau County, who is leading a battle to treat drunk driving as a serious crime.

The segment was devoted to her conviction of Martin Heidgen, who had a blood alcohol content over three time the legal limit when he slammed his pickup into a limo coming from a wedding. He suffered minor injuries but the limo driver was killed and a seven-year old girl in the limo was decapitated.

Heidgen was charged with murder by depraved indifference, convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 18 years to life which he is appealing.

Good luck. My hat's off to Rice and everyone involved in tackling this issue which kills 13,000 Americans year, according to CBS.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth