Laura VanRyn and Whitney Cerak (Photo courtesy of Taylor University)
2 student victims in I-69 van crash were misidentified
By Kelly Soderlund
The Journal Gazette
A family that cared for a comatose Taylor University student they believed to be their daughter for more than a month learned Tuesday it was actually a classmate and coworker who was involved in the same multi-fatal crash, and that their daughter actually died at the scene.
Grant County Coroner Ron Mowery, whose office handled the death investigations, confirmed Wednesday night that the two students were misidentified after the April 26 crash on I 69 that killed four students and a university employee. Laura VanRyn, 22, of Caledonia, Mich. did not survive the crash and, in fact, died at the scene.
VanRyn’s family was under the impression they were caring for their daughter at Spectrum Health Continuing Center, a rehabilitation center in Grand Rapids. In fact, they were caring for a comatose Whitney Cerak, 18, of Gaylord, Mich., who officials had pronounced dead.
Mowery said the mistake was first made before the coroner’s teams even arrived on the scene, when an unidentified emergency worker placed identification belonging to VanRyn with Cerak as she was airlifted to Parkview Hospital. Then, officials with the coroner’s office incorrectly identified VanRyn’s body as Cerak’s, with the help of a visual identification from Taylor University officials and the other photo identification.
Mowery described a highway after dark strewn with wallets, purses, and other personal effects and said none of the victims had any identification on them when emergency crews arrived.
Cerak’s family has already held funeral services, but discovered Wednesday that it was VanRyn they buried in Fairview cemetery in Ostego County, Mich. Cerak’s grandfather, Emil Frank, a retired minister in Portland, Maine, said his daughter, Colleen Cerak, declined to look at her daughter’s body before the funeral.
“They never even looked at the body. They wanted to remember her the way she was,” Frank said.
Members of both families remarked in a joint statement how alike the girls looked. After the accident, Cerak had facial swelling, a leg and an elbow in casts and a brace on her neck.
“These two women were remarkably similar in appearance, same body build, same color hair, very similar facial features,” said Bruce Rossman, Spectrum Health spokesman.
But it was when the woman they thought to be their daughter started saying “Whitney” when she was referred to as Laura that peaked the VanRyn family’s suspicions, Rossman said. The family compared Laura’s old dental records with the teeth of the woman in the bed and determined late Tuesday night it was not the same person.
“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. There was a misidentification made at the time of the accident and it is uncanny the resemblance that these two women share,” stated an entry on a Web log established by VanRyn’s family to detail what they thought was their daughter’s recovery.
VanRyn was killed when a tractor-trailer rig drifted across the lanes of Interstate 69 and plowed into a Taylor University Upland van. Police believe the driver, Robert F. Spencer, 37, of Canton, Mich., fell asleep at the wheel.
Rossman said the VanRyn family left the rehab facility this morning, and Cerak’s mother and a sibling were still there. Cerak’s father Newell, a youth pastor, was returning from a trip to New York.
“This morning when they were together they ran the gamut of emotions,” Rossman said. “There was a wide range of emotions. There was joy and happiness, but there was also grief. It’s a very difficult time for both families.”
The families issued a joint statement Wednesday afternoon and told Rossman they were not ready to make additional comments.
“Our families are supporting each other in prayer, and we thank our families, friends and communities for their prayers. We are going through an emotionally difficult time and ask that everyone please respect our need for privacy,” the statement said.
story courtesy fortwayne.com, 05/31/06
17When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19and many of the people had come to pay their respects and console Martha and Mary on their loss. 20When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." 23Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." 24"Yes," Martha said, "when everyone else rises, on resurrection day." 25Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. 26They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?" 27"Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God." 28Then she left him and returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, "The Teacher is here and wants to see you." 29So Mary immediately went to him. 30Now Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31When the people who were at the house trying to console Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled. 34"Where have you put him?" he asked them.They told him, "Lord, come and see." 35Then Jesus wept. 36The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him." 37But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Why couldn't he keep Lazarus from dying?"
WHAT DOES TODAY'S PASSAGE TEACH US ABOUT HOW JESUS CARES?
Jesus comforted his friends in their grief. He felt their pain. He cared for them. He cried with them.
Here's some more insight from Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE:
11:33-37 John stresses that we have a God who cares. When Jesus saw the weeping and wailing, he too wept openly. Perhaps he empathized with their grief, or perhaps he was troubled at their unbelief. In either case, Jesus showed that he cares enough for us to weep with us in our sorrow. This portrait contrasts with the Greek concept of God that was popular in that day - a God with no emotions and no messy involvement with humans. Here we see many of Jesus' emotions - compassion, indignation, sorrow, even frustration. He often expressed deep emotion, and we must never be afraid to reveal our true feelings to him, He understands them for he experienced them. Be honest, and don't try to hide anything from your Savior. He cares.
When I read the story of the mistaken identity with the Taylor students involved in the deadly accident, I immediately thought of today's passage. Jesus cared for his friends when Lazarus died. In the middle of grief, blame, unbelief, sorrow and questions, Jesus loved, cried, and demonstrated his authoritative power.
You may never experience the level of grief and confusion found in today's stories. But Jesus cares for you in the same way He cared for the friends of Lazarus and the way He is caring for those connected to the Taylor University tragedy.
Praise God that He is in control no matter what. Thank Him for His compassion and care. Thank Him for sending Jesus to show us what His love is really like. Thank Him that you can trust Him in times of tragedy and sorrow. Pray right now for the families and friends of those impacted by the Taylor University accident. Thank Jesus that your identity in Him will never be mistaken. He knows you and cares for you....
- Read the entire story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. You will be reminded of Christ's power and purpose.
- As often as God helps you remember, continue to pray for His comfort upon those affected by the Taylor University tragedy. Pray also that people will come to follow Jesus as the media will continue to follow this story.
Daily Devos is published Monday through Friday. Archives can be found at YFC.ORG. Its purpose is to help you apply truths from God's Word every day.
Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been involved with Youth For Christ for 30 years. He's served as Campus Life Staff, as a writer, and in leadership for the DCLA Conferences. Byron is married to Linda and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, and a daughter in college. He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.