Identity Mix-Up Stuns Crash Victims' Families - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 06-01-2006, 09:41 AM

Identity Mix-Up Stuns Crash Victims' Families

Comatose Woman in Hospital Went Misidentified for Weeks

A comatose crash victim believed to be Laura VanRyn, left, was in fact fellow student Whitney Cerak. VanRyn died in the crash.

INDIANAPOLIS (June 1) - A family sat by their daughter's hospital bedside for weeks after an auto accident before they realized that the blond-haired young woman was not their daughter after all, but another college student injured in the wreck.

Their own daughter, it turned out, was dead and buried.
In a tragic mix-up, one family was incorrectly told their daughter had died in the April 26 crash in Indiana, and another was erroneously informed their daughter was in a coma.

The two young women looked remarkably alike, and the one in a coma suffered facial swelling, broken bones and cuts and bruises, and was in a neck brace.

The family of Taylor University student Laura VanRyn, 22, disclosed the mix-up Wednesday on a Web log that they had used to record detailed updates on the young woman's recovery.

"Our hearts are aching as we have learned that the young woman we have been taking care of over the past five weeks has not been our dear Laura, but instead a fellow Taylor student of hers, Whitney Cerak," the VanRyns said on the blog.

As the woman regained consciousness she said things that made the family question her identity.

The family said that as the young woman began regaining consciousness at a rehabilitation center in Grand Rapids, Mich., she said things that made them question her identity.

As recently as Monday, the VanRyns reported: "While certain things seem to be coming back to her, she still has times where she'll say things that don't make much sense."

Officials at Taylor University, an evangelical Christian college in Upland, Ind., about 60 miles from Indianapolis, confirmed the case of mistaken identity.

"We rejoice with the Ceraks. We grieve with the VanRyns," said Taylor spokesman Jim Garringer. He said the Grant County coroner notified the school of the error.

Four Taylor students and an employee were killed when their van was struck by a tractor-trailer that had drifted across a highway median. Those in the van worked for Taylor's dining services and were preparing for a banquet for the inauguration of a new president of the 1,850-student school.

It was not clear who mistakenly identified the victims or how the error happened. The coroner's office did not immediately return a call. But the VanRyns, who are from Caledonia, Mich., said their daughter and Cerak, 18, of Gaylord, Mich., bore an "uncanny resemblance."

Most of the crash victims had funerals with closed caskets. A month ago, an overflow crowd of more than 1,400 people turned out for what they thought was Cerak's funeral in Gaylord, Mich.

The VanRyn family used the blog to provide progress reports on the young woman, reporting, example, that her hair was in pigtails or braids, that she managed to feed herself some applesauce, that she played a game of "connect four" with one of the therapists and did quite well, and that she performed an exercise in which her therapist gave her a word and she had to supply the word's opposite.

A call to the VanRyns was not immediately returned. An attorney for the Cerak family did not return a call either.

Prosecutors are weighing criminal charges against the truck driver, saying he may having fallen asleep at the wheel.

swedeace · 06-01-2006, 09:46 AM

Ouch! Such a terrible, terrible mistake.

What a sad thing.

Mijada · 06-01-2006, 10:09 AM

Very tragic. Made front page news here. I can't even imagine what those families are going through.

Ireneparalegal · 06-01-2006, 11:40 AM

I seen this last night on the news. Very sad and tragic.

NOW, what i want to know is, when a person dies in an accident, they automatically go to the coroner. How did the coroner not make a proper identification of the victim? When the person is unable to be identified from facial features, they resort to dental charts, fingerprints, etc. Anything and everything to assure the person that is being autopsied is identified. That is the question I want to know.

Brian Damage · 06-01-2006, 11:48 AM

Holy Lord! What a horrible and tragic story.

vienna waits · 06-01-2006, 01:12 PM

That is so crazy. I don't know how people deal with that. So I'm assuming they need to have another funeral... except with the same body?

Nighthawk76 · 06-01-2006, 01:14 PM

MsOrange · 06-01-2006, 02:30 PM

God, how tragic

snl 70s show fan · 06-01-2006, 04:36 PM

that is so tragic i feel awful for the familes of both girls

80sTrivia · 06-01-2006, 05:02 PM

That is the saddest, most devastating story I've ever heard... I feel so badly for the two families...

Mijada · 06-01-2006, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

NOW, what i want to know is, when a person dies in an accident, they automatically go to the coroner. How did the coroner not make a proper identification of the victim? When the person is unable to be identified from facial features, they resort to dental charts, fingerprints, etc. Anything and everything to assure the person that is being autopsied is identified. That is the question I want to know.

According to the papers here in MI, identification was made by school officials, not the coroner or family members. Apparently the ID's of the victims were scattered all about the crash site and were matched with the girls right then. That's where the mistake was made. It is very hard to believe and the way it was handled was very unprofessional. I definitely see a lawsuit coming........

G-Force Glockstar · 06-02-2006, 08:45 AM

I heard about that yesterday.....wow I can't believe it! How shocking and sad!

Mikado · 06-02-2006, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mijada

According to the papers here in MI, identification was made by school officials, not the coroner or family members. Apparently the ID's of the victims were scattered all about the crash site and were matched with the girls right then. That's where the mistake was made. It is very hard to believe and the way it was handled was very unprofessional. I definitely see a lawsuit coming........

Geeezzzzz, unprofessional isnt the word....this is criminal negligence to me

And i cant even imagine how devistating it would be to think your daughter lived only to find out shes gone

Ireneparalegal · 06-02-2006, 03:28 PM

Latest news is that the coroner will be LEAVING HIS POSITION as coroner. He had thought abt resigning long before this occurred...too bad he didn't.

Coffeecup · 06-02-2006, 03:47 PM

That same situation happen in the next area over from mine. Two women who were in a fire. One went to the hospital for treatment and the other was identified as dead. Only when the father and mother of the hospitalized went to visit, they found this wasn't their daughter. The hospitalized woman was bandaged so a week later the true identities were found. It was a mess. The whole story was a mess. Man lights fire crackers under dry xmas tree and tree catches fire causeing disaster. I don't entirely blamed the coroner, the witnesses around the incident should have some knowledge who's who. To back it up, blood taken, photos, dental records? and other people should have known.

06-01-2006, 09:41 AM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Identity Mix-Up Stuns Crash Victims' Families Identity Mix-Up Stuns Crash Victims' Families Comatose Woman in Hospital Went Misidentified for Weeks A comatose crash victim believed to be Laura VanRyn, left, was in fact fellow student Whitney Cerak. VanRyn died in the crash. INDIANAPOLIS (June 1) - A family sat by their daughter's hospital bedside for weeks after an auto accident before they realized that the blond-haired young woman was not their daughter after all, but another college student injured in the wreck. Their own daughter, it turned out, was dead and buried. In a tragic mix-up, one family was incorrectly told their daughter had died in the April 26 crash in Indiana, and another was erroneously informed their daughter was in a coma. The two young women looked remarkably alike, and the one in a coma suffered facial swelling, broken bones and cuts and bruises, and was in a neck brace. The family of Taylor University student Laura VanRyn, 22, disclosed the mix-up Wednesday on a Web log that they had used to record detailed updates on the young woman's recovery. "Our hearts are aching as we have learned that the young woman we have been taking care of over the past five weeks has not been our dear Laura, but instead a fellow Taylor student of hers, Whitney Cerak," the VanRyns said on the blog. As the woman regained consciousness she said things that made the family question her identity. The family said that as the young woman began regaining consciousness at a rehabilitation center in Grand Rapids, Mich., she said things that made them question her identity. As recently as Monday, the VanRyns reported: "While certain things seem to be coming back to her, she still has times where she'll say things that don't make much sense." Officials at Taylor University, an evangelical Christian college in Upland, Ind., about 60 miles from Indianapolis, confirmed the case of mistaken identity. "We rejoice with the Ceraks. We grieve with the VanRyns," said Taylor spokesman Jim Garringer. He said the Grant County coroner notified the school of the error. Four Taylor students and an employee were killed when their van was struck by a tractor-trailer that had drifted across a highway median. Those in the van worked for Taylor's dining services and were preparing for a banquet for the inauguration of a new president of the 1,850-student school. It was not clear who mistakenly identified the victims or how the error happened. The coroner's office did not immediately return a call. But the VanRyns, who are from Caledonia, Mich., said their daughter and Cerak, 18, of Gaylord, Mich., bore an "uncanny resemblance." Most of the crash victims had funerals with closed caskets. A month ago, an overflow crowd of more than 1,400 people turned out for what they thought was Cerak's funeral in Gaylord, Mich. The VanRyn family used the blog to provide progress reports on the young woman, reporting, example, that her hair was in pigtails or braids, that she managed to feed herself some applesauce, that she played a game of "connect four" with one of the therapists and did quite well, and that she performed an exercise in which her therapist gave her a word and she had to supply the word's opposite. A call to the VanRyns was not immediately returned. An attorney for the Cerak family did not return a call either. Prosecutors are weighing criminal charges against the truck driver, saying he may having fallen asleep at the wheel.

06-01-2006, 10:09 AM	#3
Mijada Spencers mom Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 02, 2001 Location: eastern US Posts: 4,093	Very tragic. Made front page news here. I can't even imagine what those families are going through.
	__________________ Proud mom to Spencer, Justine and Colleen

06-01-2006, 11:40 AM	#4
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	I seen this last night on the news. Very sad and tragic. NOW, what i want to know is, when a person dies in an accident, they automatically go to the coroner. How did the coroner not make a proper identification of the victim? When the person is unable to be identified from facial features, they resort to dental charts, fingerprints, etc. Anything and everything to assure the person that is being autopsied is identified. That is the question I want to know.
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!

06-01-2006, 11:48 AM	#5
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Holy Lord! What a horrible and tragic story.
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06-01-2006, 01:12 PM	#6
vienna waits avatars are stupid. Forum Superstar Join Date: May 18, 2001 Location: Ravenclaw Common Room Posts: 29,859	That is so crazy. I don't know how people deal with that. So I'm assuming they need to have another funeral... except with the same body?
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06-01-2006, 09:46 AM	#2
swedeace Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 22, 2003 Posts: 9,009	Ouch! Such a terrible, terrible mistake. What a sad thing.

06-01-2006, 01:14 PM	#7
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254

06-01-2006, 02:30 PM	#8
MsOrange Bringin' Sexy Back Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 6,133	God, how tragic

06-01-2006, 04:36 PM	#9
snl 70s show fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 14, 2005 Location: in the forman basment Posts: 2,454	that is so tragic i feel awful for the familes of both girls

06-01-2006, 05:02 PM	#10
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,714	That is the saddest, most devastating story I've ever heard... I feel so badly for the two families...
	__________________ Perfect Gift Books for Pop Culture Fanatics: Thank You for Being a Friend: A Golden Girls Trivia Book The Bouquet Residence: A Keeping Up Appearances Trivia Book Cooking With the Golden Girls: Fun & Delicious Recipes from a Hilarious Miami Kitchen Love in the Afternoon: The Ultimate Soap Opera Trivia Book The Last Great Decade: The Ultimate 90s Trivia Book Betty White: A Celebration

06-02-2006, 08:45 AM	#12
G-Force Glockstar Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Nov 22, 2003 Posts: 21,770	I heard about that yesterday.....wow I can't believe it! How shocking and sad!
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06-02-2006, 03:28 PM	#14
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	Latest news is that the coroner will be LEAVING HIS POSITION as coroner. He had thought abt resigning long before this occurred...too bad he didn't.

06-02-2006, 03:47 PM	#15
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	That same situation happen in the next area over from mine. Two women who were in a fire. One went to the hospital for treatment and the other was identified as dead. Only when the father and mother of the hospitalized went to visit, they found this wasn't their daughter. The hospitalized woman was bandaged so a week later the true identities were found. It was a mess. The whole story was a mess. Man lights fire crackers under dry xmas tree and tree catches fire causeing disaster. I don't entirely blamed the coroner, the witnesses around the incident should have some knowledge who's who. To back it up, blood taken, photos, dental records? and other people should have known.