Woman accidentally drives into her pool and dies

**Dakota Valkyrie** · January 21st, 2010, 06:51 PM

An NYPD official's search for his missing wife ended tragically Wednesday when her car was found at the bottom of the family's backyard swimming pool in a New York City suburb.

Marianne Bax, 52, of West Nyack, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon, said Clarkstown Police spokesman Sgt. Harry Baumann.

NYPD Deputy Inspector Wayne Bax and son, Christopher, an officer with the Clarkstown Police Department, filed a missing person's report Wednesday morning, but later noticed the ice on the pool was broken.

The father and son told police Bax was missing when they returned to the West Nyack home late Tuesday. The Rockland County hamlet is about 25 miles north of New York City.

It appeared Bax had driven the car in reverse across more than 100 feet of the home's side lawn and crashed through a chain-link fence before the car sank in the pool, Baumann said.
[...]

Investigators have ruled out foul play and said the death appears accidental. A medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine a cause of death.

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/ar...ool-329805.php

Marianne Bax, the 52-year-old West Nyack woman who apparently backed her car into a swimming pool in her back yard, died from "drowning and cold exposure," the Rockland County Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement.
[...]

"Additional tests are being performed to determine manner of death, which remains pending at this time," the statement said.

Detective Lt. Charles Delo, head of Clarkstown's detective bureau that is investigating the case, said police were also awaiting a toxicology report, which could take up to six weeks. The medical examiner will also look into her medical history, he said.

Administrative Sgt. Harry Baumann, spokesman for the police department, said a family member told investigators the victim suffered from multiple sclerosis and that may have been responsible for weakening her leg. However, police had not concluded that was a factor.
[...]

Delo said suicide also would be considered since "we're lacking a good explanation of the cause."
[...]

http://www.lohud.com/article/2010012...ning--exposure

**Twisted** · January 21st, 2010, 06:57 PM

This one leaves me with some questions... The primary one being why they hadn't looked around their own property before filing a missing persons report.

I also question why she would have gone more than 30 yards in reverse without correcting it.

I'm inclined to believe the causes aren't entirely natural or accidental. Suicide is a possibility, I suppose, but I also have an inherent distrust for when police officers are investigated by other police officers.

I just wonder how far "professional courtesy" goes.

**Pete Bondurant** · January 21st, 2010, 07:07 PM

....damned crazy women drivers.....

**Dakota Valkyrie** · January 21st, 2010, 07:12 PM

I wonder too. Near as I can tell from the pictures, she had to drive around the front of the house and turn to get into the pool at that angle. Most likely a suicide and the "professional courtesy" is extended because of that... at least I hope so.

**Twisted** · January 21st, 2010, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I wonder too. Near as I can tell from the pictures, she had to drive around the front of the house and turn to get into the pool at that angle. Most likely a suicide and the "professional courtesy" is extended because of that... at least I hope so.

If that was a suicide, then I give her tremendous credit for being able to pull that off, and with no damage to the grass on the way.

And I still hope no professional courtesy is extended. A suicide is a suicide, and a murder is a murder. Who's involved doesn't change the truth.

**Twisted** · January 21st, 2010, 07:16 PM

LOL Oh, and DV, I think you may want to get an investigation job with that department, if they think there's no reason to believe it couldn't be an accident. I think your little arrow makes it look unlikely enough to have happened without intent.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · January 21st, 2010, 07:22 PM

A slow drive over winterized grass isn't always noticeable. But then again, they didn't notice the busted fence either. However, since her car was gone too, they may have not looked outside their house too much.

How the media reports suicides are often touchy especially when the people are not famous. Early reports often gloss over it or intimate it until they figure the shock to the family has worn off. It's kind of a "wink, wink, nod, nod" thing. If the death stays in the news, it will be revealed. People are weird about it.

**Twisted** · January 21st, 2010, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

A slow drive over winterized grass isn't always noticeable. But then again, they didn't notice the busted fence either. However, since her car was gone too, they may have not looked outside their house too much.

I guess I wonder if you can drive that slowly over grass, and still build up the necessary force to break down the fence. I suppose it depends on how deep the supports were anchored.

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

How the media reports suicides are often touchy especially when the people are not famous. Early reports often gloss over it or intimate it until they figure the shock to the family has worn off. It's kind of a "wink, wink, nod, nod" thing. If the death stays in the news, it will be revealed. People are weird about it.

True, however there has been some focus lately on officers with wives who died in suspicious ways labeled later as accidents or suicides. I know the investigation is hard on a family, especially being suspected of killing a person you legitimately loved, but it is an important way to be able to provide truth and justice for the deceased.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · January 21st, 2010, 07:35 PM

I agree. It is suspicious... it it even weird for a suicide. If a true "accident", how did she get around the house without being able to stop?

As for driving on grass, there may be slight indications if you are looking for it (but why would they?). Since it's :winter", it has probably not grown much since it's last mow job. The second link I posted has photos. As you can see, they have place markers for something - probably tracks - but they don't look all that obvious.

**Twisted** · January 21st, 2010, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I agree. It is suspicious... it it even weird for a suicide. If a true "accident", how did she get around the house without being able to stop?

For the bit about suicide, considering she had a medical condition and access to prescription meds, I imagine there's a much easier and more pleasant way to kill herself then drowning and freezing to death in the family pool.

And I can't fathom the physics on how to make this one into an accident without showing more damage. Looking at the pictures, there was a tree nearby. In the least case, I'd have aimed for it, or tried to turn my car away from the pool. I'm willing to say there was no accident here.

As for driving on grass, there may be slight indications if you are looking for it (but why would they?). Since it's :winter", it has probably not grown much since it's last mow job. The second link I posted has photos. As you can see, they have place markers for something - probably tracks - but they don't look all that obvious.[/QUOTE]

That's very true.. I just have my doubts this is like the cases I remember from California where a person would drive through a bank after panicking and hitting the gas when they realized they weren't in reverse.

**crickett** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I wonder too. Near as I can tell from the pictures, she had to drive around the front of the house and turn to get into the pool at that angle. Most likely a suicide and the "professional courtesy" is extended because of that... at least I hope so.

I believe that you're looking at the picture backwards. The fence is busted on the opposite side from your arrow.
If she had MS, then a muscle spasm may have caused her to have her foot locked on the pedal and have slowed down her reaction time as well.

**malq** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:37 AM

Originally Posted by crickett

I believe that you're looking at the picture backwards. The fence is busted on the opposite side from your arrow.
If she had MS, then a muscle spasm may have caused her to have her foot locked on the pedal and have slowed down her reaction time as well.

I agree with Crickett. It does appear, especially if she was driving backwards, that she came in from the other side. the windsheild is facing the direction she came from
Not that it matters much except it would explain why it was harder to see the tracks. and the turn was not executed. Back to the tragic accident theory.

**Unamused Cat** · January 22nd, 2010, 03:52 AM

Here's another view of the scene. The photo is from Google, unknown date. If it were an accident I think she would've roared out into the street or into the house depending on which direction the car was facing. I don't believe this to be an accident.

**malq** · January 22nd, 2010, 04:27 AM

Originally Posted by Unamused Cat

Here's another view of the scene. The photo is from Google, unknown date. If it were an accident I think she would've roared out into the street or into the house depending on which direction the car was facing. I don't believe this to be an accident.

Maybe she didnt start from the driveway. There is limited information about how the car got there and why. It is possible the car was parked in the field facing away from the pool and she backed right into it. A lot of things are possible. At this time it looks accidental to me.
One thing I am convinced of is the car backed into the pool as shown of the field side, not the house.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · January 22nd, 2010, 06:37 AM

The car had apparently backed across the front yard, through a chain-link fence and into the pool. It was found in reverse gear. Baumann said there was no evidence the brakes had been applied before the car fell into the pool.

Detective Sgt. Bernard Cummings of Clarkstown police said officers would examine the car for more clues. A report would be available in a few days, he said.

Delo said suicide would be considered since "we're lacking a good explanation of the cause."

"But I don't understand why you would back the car in," he said. "The determination on that would be done by the Medical Examiner's Office."

http://www.lohud.com/article/20101220328

Hell of a way to suicide... but even weirder as an accident.

**MC30** · January 22nd, 2010, 11:06 AM

maybe the gas peddle got stuck.

**Twisted** · January 22nd, 2010, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Unamused Cat

Here's another view of the scene. The photo is from Google, unknown date. If it were an accident I think she would've roared out into the street or into the house depending on which direction the car was facing. I don't believe this to be an accident.

Anyone else interested in the fact that the white car in this photo looks remarkably similar to the one in the bottom of the pool?

**Saffron** · January 22nd, 2010, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I agree. It is suspicious... it it even weird for a suicide. If a true "accident", how did she get around the house without being able to stop?

As for driving on grass, there may be slight indications if you are looking for it (but why would they?). Since it's :winter", it has probably not grown much since it's last mow job. The second link I posted has photos. As you can see, they have place markers for something - probably tracks - but they don't look all that obvious.

I want to work for this police department... this is the first cop I've ever met to own a Mercedes.

**backlash** · January 22nd, 2010, 12:45 PM

Heart attack while driving is my guess. I don't for a second believe that cops can be dirty.

**Misskittychaos** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:08 PM

The driveway to the pool no matter which way she went around the house is a sizable distance. My first thought was she couldn't stop due to car issues or medical issues but if it was a car issue wouldn't she have bailed out? I would have tucked and rolled.

I'll be curious to see how this works out.

**Saffron** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:34 PM

If you Google map the address in the pictures, I don't see how she would have come from either the driveway or the back of the house. Behind the house, there's a whole bunch of trees and the neighbor's house and then to get exactly perpendicular to the pool... the front of the house has a roundabout and the street directly in front of the pool much easier to get in that position. Weird.

**MC30** · January 22nd, 2010, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Misskittychaos

The driveway to the pool no matter which way she went around the house is a sizable distance. My first thought was she couldn't stop due to car issues or medical issues but if it was a car issue wouldn't she have bailed out? I would have tucked and rolled.

I'll be curious to see how this works out.

i agree about the tuck and roll but some people freak. i used to own a '64 ford falcon and the breaks went out on me while i was on the interstate. i just shifted down 'till the engine went out and coasted to shoulder. (but this is also the same car that would jump out of gear and i would have to chase it down. damn it was a hot car and i looked very hot in it..but alas, it gave me so many problems that i sold it to a guy for $500. i just couldn't deal with it anymore.