Mom Drives Minivan Into NY’s Hudson River After Home Spat, Killing Self & 3 Kids
- Posted on April 13, 2011 at 2:11am by
Scott Baker
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NEWBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — A woman who had just been involved in a domestic dispute loaded her four children into a minivan Tuesday night before letting one out and driving the rest of them into the Hudson River, firefighters said. The woman and three young children were killed.
The 10-year-old boy who had been let out of the minivan ran to a nearby fire station and alerted firefighters, Chief Michael Vatter said. The boy told firefighters his mother had driven off a boat ramp in Newburgh, about 60 miles north of New York City, and into the murky water of the river, Vatter said. Inside with her were the boy’s siblings: two boys, ages 5 and 2, and an 11-month-old girl.
Firefighters and police officers responded with boats. Divers searched for the minivan for about an hour before finding it submerged in 10 feet of water about 25 yards offshore. They used a heavy-duty tow truck to pull it up the boat ramp and onto land.
Everyone inside was dead, Vatter said.
The woman lived about six blocks from where she and her children perished, he said.
The domestic altercation occurred about 10 minutes before the woman drove into the river, said Vatter, who didn’t have any more information on it.
Newburgh, which has about 30,000 residents, sits on the western shore of the part of the river that runs south through New York state and eventually splits New York and New Jersey.
The town is about 30 miles north of suburban Westchester County, where a mother driving a van the wrong way on a highway in 2009 slammed into an SUV, killing eight people.
The woman blamed in that crash, Diane Schuler, was drunk and high on marijuana, an autopsy found. Schuler died, along with her daughter, three nieces and three men in the other vehicle. Schuler’s 5-year-old son survived.
The crash — and how Schuler could race against highway traffic with a vanload of frightened children — intrigued the nation and was featured on TV talk shows for months.
Her husband, Daniel Schuler, disputed the autopsy results and paid for more studies of her remains in hopes of proving she was not intoxicated. The results have not been made public.



















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Comments (98)
lketchum
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:37amMy God – forgive us, please. Bless the souls of these innocent children.
Report Post »thara
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:22amWell, The children are in heaven and she’s in hell. Enough said…..
Report Post »Concerned1
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:20amOne thing I have learned from animals (and people are animals) is that they don’t act ugly without reason. When any of my animals are moody, angry, or aggressive it‘s usually because they don’t feel well. People are the same way. We aren’t born “evil.” This woman KILLED HERSELF and her kids. That is a desperate act by a really sick person who apparently had no coping skills and perceived that she had no support. Yes, it’s tragic, but instead of pointing fingers, why not address the problem? I really hope that if I should ever get into such a state, there is someone other than you guys out there because I’d be just as lost as she was. Finger pointing and regulating don’t help.
Report Post »Food4Thought
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:20amWhat if the pyschologist is an athiest and I speak clearly about my faith in God and Jesus Christ. Could he then have me committed for being mentally unstable? You are foolish if you give the government more power than they already have. Suicide is a by product of a godless world that has no hope beyond their present situation. May God remember the innocent victims.
Report Post »Doomslayer
Posted on April 14, 2011 at 8:08pmHere , here…..so true. We do not need more governmental involvement or interference in our lives but what we do need is a greater awareness of those that are hurting around us and a greater measure of compassion that would move us to lend a helping hand by reporting abuse when we see it, give meaningful referrals where a desperate person can get valuable help, or be a ready ear and source of encouragement. Friends, Family, Church, Community (not government) have a responsibility to look out for the needy around us. If we would love our neighbor as ourselves, this woman may not have felt so despondent or helpless. It’s not always about mental illness. Evil is real and can be rendered powerless if we would return to the G-d of the Bible and to Biblical principles. It alone offers true hope, restoration and healing of mind, body and spirit and genuine love…As we celebrate Easter and Passover, we are reminded that He who delivered His own from sin and slavery then, is more than able to deliver now.He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). It is a message needed now more than ever during these uncertain and troubling times.
Report Post »JenniferNB
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:17amI think what we will probably find is a woman who is possibly suffering from some sort of post-partem depression and/or abuse from a domestic dipute and lost her mind. Who knows why the 10 year old was left out of the car. I never understand why people take the lives of the innocent when they plummit so far into a depression that they think suicide with your children is a good idea. I feel like that little boys life with be a living hell…so in a way she killed him too in that split second!
Report Post »audaxrex
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 1:55pmJennifer’s right. This isn’t the first nor the last time for this kind of sad waste, and the root is postpartum psychotic depression. She may have felt she was somehow saving them. Maybe.
Report Post »Let’s keep our new mothers healthy if we can. Exhaustion and stress can drive a psychotic break.
Mustangrider
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:07amGet real people, no-one can predict the future, not even a psychologist. What are we supposed to do in the rare instance of someone doing this even after a psych eval? answer: nothing, $# !t happens. sadly
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:03amWow another mother killing her kids. Before it was a woman who denied her kid life saving drugs. Here its drowning. Ill say it again and again. May GOD have mercy on her FILTHY soul. You want to know why theres an outbreak of this behavior? The reason is right in front of you. Were living it day to day.
Report Post »mab11
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 8:47amcheck out…..
Report Post »http://www.taconictragedy.com
ANR2007
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 8:45amThis is just sad why didnt she just leave her kids there with the dad. It makes me so mad to think of these children being brought and then leaving the 10 year old to have nightmares for the rest of his life. Hate your life whatever thats cool but dont take your children with you. My heart goes out to the 10 year old boy who know has to live with this on his soulders i hope he gets the help he will need.
Report Post »Concerned1
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 8:30amDo you guys think about what you say before you say it? You people crying out for “annual mental health evaluations” apparently don’t understand mental health. I could have an evaluation today and be perfectly fine, but have some crisis hit tomorrow and go on a rampage. Unless I am chronically mentally ill and have been on a downward spiral for a while, you aren’t going to pick me up as a danger to myself or others (like Andrea Yates). Domestic violence has dynamics that are dysfunctional and cause both parties to not think or behave in normal, healthy ways, but they are not “mentally ill.” Screening would likely cost a ton and resolve nothing. Not to mention that inviting government interference into health care is ridiculous in a free country. Why would you give up ANY freedom to the government in exchange for safety? “He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” ~Ben Franklin THINK, people.
Report Post »streetrodder
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:23amComing soon, new safety standards, cars that float.
Report Post »citizenoftexas
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:20am@ illuminoddy
I hear random capitalization is a sign of mental illness. An ambulance is on the way. Enjoy the re-education comrade.
Report Post »citizenoftexas
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:17am@ illuminoddy: I hear random capitalization is a sign of mental illness. An ambulance is on the way.
Report Post »HTuttle
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:11amNewburgh. It’s like Detroit but smaller and without all the good points.
Report Post »Stu D. Baker-Hawk
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:08amMental illness? Maybe. Evil? Absolutely. Call this woman what she is. Any parent that would kill their children deserves to burn in the fires of Hell. God protect the souls of those innocent babes.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:29amIt’s a mental illness only if being a selfish coward is a mental illness. Agreed about the fires.
Report Post »Concerned1
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:01amI don’t see this as primarily an issue of mental illness, but domestic violence. It would not be stopped by taking away freedom and compelling psych evaluations for the general public. Abuse doesn’t show up as “mental illness” for the abuser or the victim. And do you know how hard it is to commit someone in this country?
Filicide (killing of a child) occurs in crazy people (obviously), but most often occurs in cases like this- domestic violence. The motivation is either to “save” the children from further abuse from the perpetrator or to “punish” the other parent. Since this occurred just after an altercation, I’d guess it was motivated by domestic violence, not psychosis.
If you want to change laws, make it in that direction, not in the direction of taking more freedom from the general public.
Report Post »Nobamazone
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:53amAMEN!
Report Post »I totally agree, Domestic Violence had more to do with this then any other factor. Everyone should read the book Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft, it is an eye opening read about what is happening in millions of homes, written by a man who has spent his career working with the abusers.
kryptonite
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 1:11pm@Concerned
Agreed. She was not insane. We now know that her older son had a different father, and he was able to get out through a window and swim to shore. She was going to kill him too.
Yes, she wanted to punish the father, but I also think progressives have changed women’s view of children. It used to be that a woman saw her children as gifts from God; as little people who had rights and should be respected. Abortion changed that, and some women who have personality disorders don’t stop at birth. A woman who considers she has the right to choose whether her unborn baby lives or dies may, under a strenuous situation, extend that “right” all the way into childhood, when the child is still totally dependent on her. She will continue to believe she has the right to that child’s life, even after the child is born. That’s my theory, anyway.
Report Post »joedog73
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:32amIt shows that horrible murders can happen by anyone and by any means. The media always calls for gun control when a gun is used,are they going to call for car control to prevent tragedies like this from happening?.
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:06amtwice-annually mental health check-ups should be required will all registered gun owners automobile drivers, and all medical and dental practitioners, as well as all politicians, and all teachers, and should come with benefits such as reduces insurance, reduced taxes, increased SS benefits, or something else along those lines
insurance companies would save billions on health care if they focused on mental health care and evaluative and preventative mental health check-ups, as well as massage therapy treatments, to relax the body and mind and increase overall health and well-being, making people more happy, more mentally healthy, and far less likely to become sick or dependent on the medical system
Report Post »stevefim5
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 1:12pmGive it a rest Looney Noodle
Report Post »shimauma42
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:55pm@illuminoddy, quit obsessing after everybody else’s mental health, yer starting to sound….crazy, paranoid and crazy. Get the beam out of your own eye first
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 5:35am..nothing to see here folks…just ANOTHER selfish woman killing her children.
Report Post »mendolover
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 4:28amHorrible and disgusting the selfishness. But what the heck does the other incident have to do with this other than to sensationalize it?
Report Post »crusaderpc
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 4:17amIf only Obama and the liberals had put a moratorium on driving mini vans. Then illuminoddy wouldn’t sound so dim-witted.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 5:23amIf she was just driving a Chevy Volt, as Obama wants us to do, she could only get 4 blocks with the extra weight of the kids, caused the battery to die. She’s never of made it to the water. Government Motors saves the day! Of course, if she was driving a Chevy Cruze, the steering wheel would of come off while driving.
Report Post »Koolaiders
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:35am@tedrunk
You’r a sicko. This is a domestic tragedy and you have to inject your political vitriol into the mix.
Shame on you.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:59amI would have been fine if she only took her own life. She took the kid’s lives to punish their father. It’s amazing that the ten year old son was able to wrangle his self out of this situation. Good for him. I only feel sadness for her other children that were wrongly killed.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:45amI agree, Diane. I’d venture a guess that she had the 10yo by a different man, and killed the others from the guy she argued with. We’ll see.
Report Post »ricksaint
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:20amI hate reading things like this. Where is a person’s mind at when you can cause the death of your own children?
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 10:17amIt has got to be that she had NO HOPE that things would get better. I don’t think we realize sometimes where our hope comes from.
Report Post »Psalms 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
Exrepublisheep
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 2:43amSorrow
Report Post »I Love Section 8 Housing
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 2:29amhow can someone do this to children
Report Post »DaytonConserve
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:44amThe vitriol and venomous lies coming out of the mouths of progressives would cause anyone to drive off a short pier.
Report Post »Koolaiders
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:38am@DAYTONCONSERVE
Leave politics outa this – you sound hard-hearted. Pity your family.
Report Post »stevefim5
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 1:10pmMay God take those 3 children and that women into His loving arms and show mercy on the mother, but the surving child will need all that love and more for the rest of what will surely be a tormented life.
Sad. Very sad…..
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 2:20amthis is the reason that mental health examinations should be mandatory for all Americans twice per year.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 2:24amThat would not solve anything. It is just heartbreakingly sad, but it happens.
Report Post »kryptonite
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:30amLooks like this woman thought her children were still part of her body, and she could decide whether they lived or died. What a monster.
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:36amYes, but mental health is the service that most insurance companies pay the least on.
Report Post »http://maboulette.wordpress.co,
staythecourse
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 4:19amBoy…you must have been reading Obamacare! Dont fret anyone. Every child in the country will soon be mandated to have an annual pscyh evaluation. This annual pscyh exam is to find problems with kids before they become problems so the government can prevent problems from happening. Sort of like “minority report” for kids! Think I’m kidding? Stay tuned to announcement from HHS, Kathleen Sebalius and her crew.
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 5:38amMental illness is a very heartless and bad thing.
Report Post »lillianrose
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 5:55amIt might have been or maybe that she was drunk and high on marijuana.
Report Post »ecurbyy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 5:58amTo set an example, I think Pelosi should volunteer to go first. And might as well include drug and alcohol testing while they’re at it.
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:26ami think what happened here was a woman who suffered from extreme dementia and psychosis left one child behind out of a narcissistic/megalomania need, probably from internet blogging, that she needed someone to notice her more, as if leaving a child behind would get more a message out, increase more sympathy and attention..
at any rate, yes, mental health examinations could have caught this long before it happened
a mental health check up would look for signs of psychopathy, parathesis, neurosis, dementia, paranoia, schizophrenia, sociopathy, depression, abuse, desperation, narcissism, megalomania, Machiavellianism, Aberrant self promotion, and other things behaviorists and psychoanalysts and psychotherapists, and psychiatrists, counselors and other mental health professionals could use to get a mandatory court-ordered mental therapy enrollment
preventative checkups used to identify those who are a danger to themselves or society, or who need professional help to one degree or another
and yes, it should be mandatory for all Americans
Twice per year
Report Post »avenger
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:27ambe careful what you wish for….
Report Post »Koolaiders
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:33amAmazing: most of the comments here turn a domestic tragedy into an attack on democrats and O.
You people are sick. Cant you just leave party politics aside for once and simply apply non-political compassion? Or are y’all beyond that?
Amazing.
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:37am@UlyssesP
your fear is understandable, Mental Health is a field with alot of stigma and dogma surrounding it.
but fear may most likely be a form of acknowledgment of a problem
U dont want to talk about your problems, which may be an indicator that your problems are dangerous to society, and those closest to you
its no more or no less as important than a physical examination
if your mental health checks out, you are free to go
if not, then you will get the help you need until you recover or become more normal, and less of a psychotic or sociopath
you wouldnt turn down medicine for a physical ailment would you?
this is no different, would you live with something in your body that is causing you unhappiness and suffering?
would you live with something that causes unhappiness or suffering to the people you care most about?
its for your own benefit
you can get the help you need, if its found that you need it..
if you dont need it, then see u again n 6 months
we hope you and your loved ones are safe and happy
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:42am@walkwithme1966
that is very true, its because its something that is not fully accepted in society, and something that is shrouded in mystery and strikes fear in many people’s hearts
if medical insurance would pay for mental health evaluations and treatment, I dare say that they could reduce their payout by half, as mentally healthy and happy people have less traumatic experiences, less distractions, less accidents, make better decisions, and fall ill fa less, and have much more immunity to sickness
Report Post »thermonator
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 6:59am@illuminoddy
‘Mental health’ is very subjective and any kind of therapy is only effective with the active participation of the subject. Therefore these kinds of things are not preventable without forced mental health/drug treatments and incarcerations.
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:10am@thermonator
yes, well, the behavior of the participant in the check-up exam will lead examiners to determine if he needs mandatory enrollment in a secured health care facility to determine the reasons behind his lack of cooperation
the problems are not hidden, all the signs and symptoms are available on the surface, as plain as the nose on your face
of course. some sort of lie detector hooked up might improve answer quality and result correctness
Report Post »streetrodder
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:16amThats nuts!
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:17ami think people have nothing to fear..
it might play out something like this:
(doctor hooks patient up to lie detector, turns on camera, and sits down and picks up his notepad and pen)
doctor: are you happy?
patient: yes, I’m happy
(machine goes crazy)
doctor:, i see…
(Doctor pushes secret button under desk)
(nurses arrive a moment later and drag the patient, kicking and screaming, into a long-term padded observation room)
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:42amYou better read the Constitution, Looneynoddy! You would apparently give away all your rights to live in ‘perfect world’, would you not?
Report Post »marshall1963
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 7:56amRight, more government regulation is needed. That will do the trick. :b
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:14amI think Illuminoddy is making a different point to the obvious one. Nicely done.
Report Post »illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:19am@decendenton6
The founding fathers simply had no idea Americans would all be Porn addicts, fornicators, molesters, rapists, homosexuals, gay. or anything else america is today
the streets need cleaning
and this is the perfect way to clean america up
i wish Americans were actually like Canadians.. or some other real actual culture, rather than a melting cesspool of rotten filth
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:52am….or maybe he’s a little bit in need of the attention that he is recommending. Who knows.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:59amAnyway, as a father (and I’m sure I speak for most parents) I find this kind of story gutwrenching.
It is impossible to imagine the terror that must have filled the last moments of those small children’s lives. How desperately sad it is that this kind of event keeps happening.
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 10:15am@ illuminoddy………..you need a Mental Health screening
Report Post »GWN
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 11:20amILLUMINODY, does that include a thorough analysis of the man-child in the White House…cause that one is a real piece of work. Any adult who was abandoned as a child by both of his parents and has as many issues about himself as he does, is not fit for high office. I have rarely seen anyone exhibit the stunning level of narcissism, passive aggression, and pathological lying as he does.
And before you think I’m slamming the Democrats, anyone who spends five years in solitary confinement and is physically and mentally abused during that time, isn’t fit for high office either. McCain learned the hard way that the only way he could survive was to avoid confrontation. Otherwise, he would get beaten within an inch of his life and have his arms broken again. This is the real reason he could never successfully challenge Obama. He can no longer deal with confrontation and is always looking for the easiest way out. That’s not someone you want as the leader of the free world.
Let us also remember that until recently, homosexuals were considered mentally deficient. Women were also suspect due to having periods. And I’m quite sure that any conservative who openly disagrees with progressive ideas, would be visited by the men with the white coats and then relegated to a stint at the funny farm for some re-education and training.
No, No. As long as folks like you (the mental health care field is owned by progressives, just like they own every other institution) get to make the rules about who is sane and who needs to benefit from your “help,” thanks, but I’ll pass. I’m not knocking your profession…I just don’t trust the God complex you folks employ to decide who is fit, and who is not.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 11:26amSince when is “Machiavellianism” a mental illness rather than a path to success in business, politics, academia and just about everything else?
Report Post »Cerealface
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 11:40amGirls are crazy sometimes.
Report Post »GODSAMERICA
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 12:06pm@illuminoddy
Report Post »Your posts show the stupidy of your statements! A REAL doctor/psychologist would not diagnose based on a story they read. Just because you looked up a few fancy words (to the layperson that is) and wanted to show off these words you looked up is far from making you an expert. While the may be psychological problems that she had does not mean that is what caused her to do what she did. Everyone has psychological problems, most of which do not interfere with daily living. A stressful situation can cause someone to do crazy things like this woman did regardless of what a wannabe pschologist says. Like they say, “a little bit of knowledge is a very dangerous thing” and you are proving that statement. From what you say it appears that you are just someone who thinks that everyone should be controlled by authorities. It is a great disappointment that such ignorance can be so openly displayed. Please, next time you want to make a judgement make sure that you know more than just how to say and spell “fancy” words.
shimauma42
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:56pmwhy so obsessed about other people’s mental health? you sound like a paranoid lunatic.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 3:56pmOh yeah that’s what it is huh? They need mental evaluations because the Bible says that these are the things women will do to their children in the end of an age? They are doing these things because they are unhappy and miserable, and the system has surrounded people in a miserable system.
Report Post »bereal
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 5:13pmYep, and you should log in and out of your home everyday, you should have a gps installed on your body with a sampling of heart rate, EEG for erratic readings that are wired into the cars ignition.
Report Post »Yep, U R correct illuminody. Oh, one more thing, you should give your paycheck to OBAMA and have his group give you what they feel you should have to live on. Sounds like you would have the perfect society to live in illuminoddy.
illuminoddy
Posted on April 13, 2011 at 9:26pmMachiavellianism is a part of what Behaviorists refer to as ‘the dark trinity’, Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Aberrant Self-promotion. Machievellienism is often accompanied by Narcissism, Megalomania, and other disorders
homosexuality was classified as a Parathesia, along with a desire to or act of having sex inanimate objects, such as foodstuffs, or with non-human living objects, such as animals, or with cadavers/ dead bodies, infants, small children, the helpless or handicapped, elderly, their mother or other relative, people of the same gender, and other parathesia neurosis
it was only de-classified because of the work of liberal homosexuals, who think sex with all of the above mentioned things describes a typical afternoon for them, and the potential to play housewife with
mental health professionals were labelled and slandered as ‘racist’ aginst homos. and so gave in to the pathetic liberal quasi-plea agenda, and decided to declassify what was becoming very wide-spread in America, and so it was assumed that it was largely misunderstood
that was in the early 1970′s
since then, homosexuality has run rampant, and experienced acceptance on an unprescidented scale. it became mainstream, and in popular culture, on tv, radio, magazines, the Main-Stream Media (now an acronym for homosexuality), and in schools and homes
this phenomenon has given professionals raw access to the mind and psyche of behavior in homosexuslism. since 2000, most progress in the study was made due to uber omnipresence of the behavior.
since 2010, doctors have been able to give detailed desriptions of peope with the disorder, not possiblein 1974, and have had great success in its treatment
75% of all deviates benefit from treatment, 25% are cured completely, and 25%, the most deviant, recieve no benefit
there is a long list of traits i’m not going into now, as i’m on my phone
requiring mental health checks would reshape america, get most dems off the street or clear up their thinking, and cause the right to reevalute some of their behavioral paterns
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