Taylor Univ Crash Victim Misidentified 5 Weeks Ago

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angelmom said:
CD...I watched the entire thing as well, and was very moved. I especially am touched by the fact that the two families are so united, that no one seems to be assigning blame, and that there doesn't appear to be misplaced anger over what can only be described as an incredible set of coincidences.

The fact that the coroner's procedures are being updated to require a positive ID without a lawsuit or a huge PR mess just goes to show that humans can learn from their experiences without someone needing a check.

I was impressed by everyone involved for their restraint, respect, and the dignity they offered both of these young women. I thought it was a very well done piece.
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I agree with everything you said. Both families are a true example that there is good out there.

JBean and other's, here's video of the program:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23848130#23848130
 
dark_shadows said:
Hello Dark Knight,
Thank-you for the link.I found the story on the 2 teen boys yesterday on the yahoo search,today I put in another search on coroner mistakes and found other stories along with this;
news link

Coroner in mistaken ID case to step down

June 1, 2006
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By BEN SCHMITT

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER



The coroner responsible for the misidentification of a Michigan woman thought to be killed in an April car accident said today that he is not cut out for the job and plans to leave his post at the end of the year.

Grant County, Ind. Coroner Ron Mowery said he has a law enforcement background - he served as county sheriff, Marion Police chief and Marions mayor - and completed a state coroners association training course, but was not certified.

Im a career law enforcement officer, Mowery said Thursday. The decision to leave this position is something I decided before this tragedy, which has taken a huge toll on me.

Mowery said he was appointed last year to finish out the term of the previous coroner, who left the elected position for another political office.



Grant County, Ind. Coroner Ron Mowery said he has a law enforcement background - he served as county sheriff, Marion Police chief and Marions mayor - and completed a state coroners association training course, but was not certified.

Im a career law enforcement officer, Mowery said Thursday. The decision to leave this position is something I decided before this tragedy, which has taken a huge toll on me.

Mowery said he was appointed last year to finish out the term of the previous coroner, who left the elected position for another political office.
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Ideally coroners should have a law degree and be practicing lawyers with some training in both medical forensics (enough to understand the ME's report) and law enforcement (enough to to have a fair knowledge of investigation techniques and lingo). In some states where the position of coroner is not an elected post having a law degree is mandatory in order to apply. This is understandable considering that a coroner's report, while not legally binding, has more influence on a grand jury than a police report with regards to criminal responsibility in cases where cause of death is the key factor.

Most coroner inquests however do not concern criminal cases but safety issues following fatal incidents involving road accidents (in which they sometimes work with agencies such as the NTSB), fires, construction sites, building safety code violations, etc. A coroner whose background is strictly law enforcement would likely not be at ease investigating such events that do not directly concern law enforcement.
 
It is a fascinating, heartbreaking, and horrifying case. Watching it with my family, we were all in tears. The tragedy upon tragedy these families have endured is absolutely gutwrenching. However, the way they handled it from day one is simply a testament to them all and bringing Whitney back with the kindness and love is incredible.

The most telling part for me was when Laura's sister really came to the realization and didn't freak out as not to frighten Whitney. It was amazing the decorum she showed being so young. Her parents should be so proud of her and themselves for everything they did to insure this poor girl's emotional trauma was kept at a minimum in view of the circumstances.

I applaud both families for their ability to accept things and to move forward instead of dwelling on the regrets. While I am happy for one family, I am devastated for the other. I cannot imagine how I would feel to walk in their shoes and I wonder if I could be so noble. I pray the comfort and peace they have found within themselves will cross over into many other lives as they so willingly share their stories.
 
I just finished reading the book written by these two families, "Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope" and highly recommend it. It's heart-breaking and uplifting.
 
My mom has been telling me this story for awhile and i kept missing the special they would play on tv. I finally was able to watch it today and i bawled my eyes out! That was such a sad, strange but amazing story. I can not believe how much Whitney has recovered! Is she going to school?
 
KansasCutie said:
My mom has been telling me this story for awhile and i kept missing the special they would play on tv. I finally was able to watch it today and i bawled my eyes out! That was such a sad, strange but amazing story. I can not believe how much Whitney has recovered! Is she going to school?
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Yes. She just completed her junior year at Taylor. She spent the winter semester studying in Ireland. She is now off to Africa on a mission. She lives in the same town as my mom. I visited there this weekend and they had an update on Whitney.
 
Can anyone who has read the book tell me if a minister by the name of Dan (I won't put the last name on here) is mentioned in this book? I can pm the name to anyone who has read it. The landlord of my business property says he was ministering to and helping these families through this ordeal. This was during the time we were trying to subpoena some property records for him and he was too caught up in this tragedy to respond.

He is an absolute *advertiser censored**hole who lies through his teeth and cloaks himself in Christianity. He cheats and steals from anyone he can but tells everyone what a good Christian he is... I'm sure everyone knows the type. He makes my stomach turn.

I would love to know if he was really involved with this tragedy. If so, I feel even worse for these families than I did before.
 
ljwf22 said:
Yes. She just completed her junior year at Taylor. She spent the winter semester studying in Ireland. She is now off to Africa on a mission. She lives in the same town as my mom. I visited there this weekend and they had an update on Whitney.
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Hey thanks for that update!

Aww thats amazing. Im still shocked at how well she recovered and how well she is living her life.
 
A Michigan woman once believed to have died in a horrific van crash three years ago has graduated from college in Indiana.

Whitney Cerak, of Gaylord, Mich., graduated Saturday from Taylor University and plans to travel soon to Kenya to work with her sister helping children.

"We are excited to see her reach this milestone of graduation. It just didn't seem possible three years ago," Taylor spokesman Jim Garringer said. "In fact, three years ago, we didn't even know that she had survived the accident."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521604,00.html
 
chicoliving said:
A Michigan woman once believed to have died in a horrific van crash three years ago has graduated from college in Indiana.

Whitney Cerak, of Gaylord, Mich., graduated Saturday from Taylor University and plans to travel soon to Kenya to work with her sister helping children.

"We are excited to see her reach this milestone of graduation. It just didn't seem possible three years ago," Taylor spokesman Jim Garringer said. "In fact, three years ago, we didn't even know that she had survived the accident."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521604,00.html
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:) thanks for the update~!
 
chicoliving said:
A Michigan woman once believed to have died in a horrific van crash three years ago has graduated from college in Indiana.

Whitney Cerak, of Gaylord, Mich., graduated Saturday from Taylor University and plans to travel soon to Kenya to work with her sister helping children.

"We are excited to see her reach this milestone of graduation. It just didn't seem possible three years ago," Taylor spokesman Jim Garringer said. "In fact, three years ago, we didn't even know that she had survived the accident."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521604,00.html
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I cannot imagine how hard it is for her parents to let her go to Kenya. They almost lost her once, have already grieved her. It would be gutwrenching for me to even let her drive a car, get on a plane, go back to school...forget leaving the country to go to Africa!

But they must also know that she has a mission and a purpose in life, and that they have already survived the worst possible moment. This story is so incredible to me still.

I wish her the best of luck and safety. Hopefully her darkest days are all behind her.
 
angelmom said:
I cannot imagine how hard it is for her parents to let her go to Kenya. They almost lost her once, have already grieved her. It would be gutwrenching for me to even let her drive a car, get on a plane, go back to school...forget leaving the country to go to Africa!

But they must also know that she has a mission and a purpose in life, and that they have already survived the worst possible moment. This story is so incredible to me still.

I wish her the best of luck and safety. Hopefully her darkest days are all behind her.
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I felt the SAME WAY when I read that. I thought "Gosh, I'd be surprised if you could pull my son from my arms long enough" lol BUT then I think about it, as I am sure they did as well, and as you stated, there is a reason she is here. There is a purpose. God kept her in his arms once before, and kept her here for unfinished business. Maybe this trip is that business? Such an uplifting and heartbreaking story at the same time.
 
LinasK said:
Yes, that is the coroner's job, to ensure that person you are pronouncing dead is indeed, beyond the shadow of a doubt the person. This coroner screwed up major big time, resulting in the Cerak's grief and funeral expenses for a daughter they thought was their own!!! I do pity the Cerak's and the Van Ryn's because both had to go through the grief of losing a daughter, but at least the Cerak's did get her back.
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Ironic, my reaction to the post I was answering is the exact same today re-reading this thread as it was 10 years ago when I wrote this post. I am consistent! If I were the families, especially the Cerak's, I would've sued the coroner too. He failed to do his job in making proper identification by DNA, rather than relying on friends and family- particularly when he told Cerak's family not to look at her (Laura)!
 
mjak said:
Good Grief!!! Nobody is infallable. The coroner is not responsible for this mix-up.
The anger and lawsuits should be amied at the driver of the semi who hit these kids.
Whitneys own family did not recognize her for five weeks. I am so sorry for the family who lost there love one but this lawsuit is not appropriate in my opinion.

mjak
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BBM. Yes he is. Only the VanRyn family would have had to grieve over the loss of a child were it not for the coroner's mix up!!
 
LinasK said:
Ironic, my reaction to the post I was answering is the exact same today re-reading this thread as it was 10 years ago when I wrote this post. I am consistent! If I were the families, especially the Cerak's, I would've sued the coroner too. He failed to do his job in making proper identification by DNA, rather than relying on friends and family- particularly when he told Cerak's family not to look at her (Laura)!
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The main reason to get rid of coroner's and hire forensic medical examiners. But coroners nor medical examiners pronounce people deceased. That is done by medical personnel.
 
wendybtn said:
The main reason to get rid of coroner's and hire forensic medical examiners. But coroners nor medical examiners pronounce people deceased. That is done by medical personnel.
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BBM. Something we agree on, but the misidentification of Whitney was done by the coroner. The correct body"Whitney"(Laura) was declared deceased and Whitney"Laura" was actually rescued, that wasn't the mixup. Does this make sense? Don't know how to write it up any clearer.
 
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