Whitney Cerak
Encyclopedia
Whitney Cerak is an American
student who was mistakenly identified as another person, following a car accident
that killed five people on Interstate 69
in Grant County
, Indiana
.
The case of mistaken identity made national and international headlines
and prompted proposed legislation
in the states of Michigan
and Indiana
concerning stricter guidelines in the identification of bodies by coroner
s.
Cerak was misidentified as Laura Van Ryn, a fellow student from Taylor University
, following an accident on April 26, 2006. Both of them were in a van that collided with a semi-trailer
, killing five people and critically injuring four others.
Due to the severity of the injuries which included severe head trauma as well as some physical similarities between the two women, Cerak was taken care of by the Van Ryn family in the belief that she was their daughter. (Meanwhile, Van Ryn was buried in a grave with Cerak's name on it.) More than five weeks passed before the mistake was realized.
Whitney Cerak regained full physical and mental health, and returned to Taylor University for the fall 2006 semester. She graduated May 23, 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Since the incident, the Cerak and Van Ryn families have maintained a close relationship and have co-written a book together detailing their experience entitled Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
student who was mistakenly identified as another person, following a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
that killed five people on Interstate 69
Interstate 69
Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
in Grant County
Grant County, Indiana
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 70,061. The county seat is Marion. Important paleontological discoveries dating from the Pliocene epoch have been made at Pipe Creek Sinkhole in Grant County.-Geography:According to the 2010...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
The case of mistaken identity made national and international headlines
and prompted proposed legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
in the states of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
concerning stricter guidelines in the identification of bodies by coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
s.
Cerak was misidentified as Laura Van Ryn, a fellow student from Taylor University
Taylor University
Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian college located in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian colleges in America....
, following an accident on April 26, 2006. Both of them were in a van that collided with a semi-trailer
Semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. A large proportion of its weight is supported by a road tractor, a detachable front axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer...
, killing five people and critically injuring four others.
Due to the severity of the injuries which included severe head trauma as well as some physical similarities between the two women, Cerak was taken care of by the Van Ryn family in the belief that she was their daughter. (Meanwhile, Van Ryn was buried in a grave with Cerak's name on it.) More than five weeks passed before the mistake was realized.
Whitney Cerak regained full physical and mental health, and returned to Taylor University for the fall 2006 semester. She graduated May 23, 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Since the incident, the Cerak and Van Ryn families have maintained a close relationship and have co-written a book together detailing their experience entitled Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope is a best-selling non-fiction book describing a case where the identities of two young women were confused after a car crash. It was published by Howard Books on March 25 2008. The book lists its authors as Don and Susie Van Ryn;...
.
See also
- AloneAlone (House)"Alone" is the first episode of the fourth season of House and the seventy-first episode overall. It first aired on September 25, 2007. It is based on the real life case of Whitney Cerak and Laura Van Ryn....
-- an episode from the television show HouseHouse (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
that features a similar mistaken identity theme. - And Here's To You, Mrs Azrael (CSI: NY episode) -- an episode from the television show CSI: NYCSI: NYCSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
that features a similar mistaken identity theme.