Whitney Cerak (born Muncie, Indiana on April 29, 1987) 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.[1] The case of mistaken identity made national and international headlines[2][3] and prompted proposed legislation in the states of Michigan and Indiana concerning stricter guidelines in the identification of bodies by coroners.[4][5]
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.[6] 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.[7]