Whitney Cerak

Whitney Cerak is an American student who was mistakenly identified as another person, following a car accident which killed five people on Interstate 69 in Grant County, Indiana.cite web
url =http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-31-indiana-mistaken-identity_x.htm
title = Case of mistaken identity stuns families
publisher =USA Today - Theodore Kim
accessdate =2008-03-20] The case of mistaken identity made national and international headlines cite web
url =http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/06/01/victim-mixup.html
title = Mistaken identity has family keeping vigil over wrong woman
publisher =CBC News
accessdate =2008-03-29] cite web
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5037536.stm
title = Coma woman mix-up pains US family
publisher =BBC News
accessdate =2008-03-29] and prompted proposed legislations in the states of Michigan and Indiana concerning stricter guidelines in the identification of bodies by coroners.cite web
url =http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/thisweek/index060922.html
title =Summer Study Committee Presents Ideas for Laws
publisher =Indiana House Republicans
accessdate =2008-03-29] cite web
url =http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=55776
title =State Representative tries to prevent future identity mix-ups
publisher =WZZM13 NEWS
accessdate =2008-03-29]

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 the same van which violently collided with a semi-trailer killing five people and critically injuring four others.cite web
url =http://www.taylor.edu/community/news/05_06/memorial.shtml
title = In Loving Memory
publisher =Taylor University
accessdate =2008-03-29] 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. More than five weeks passed before the mistake was realized.

Whitney Cerak returned to Taylor University for the fall 2006 semester and has regained full physical and mental health. 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 "".cite web
url =http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-whitney-cerak-0327,0,5769738.story
title = Whitney Cerak, crash survivor in ID mix-up, writes book
publisher =Chicago Tribune
accessdate =2008-03-29]

ee also

* Alone (House) -- an episode from the television show House that features a similar mistaken identity theme.
* -- an episode from the television show that features a similar mistaken identity theme.

References