Whitney Cerak

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 headline and prompted proposed legislation in the states of Michigan and Indiana concerning stricter guidelines in the identification of bodies by coroners.

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 violently 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. 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 Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope.

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