how does this happen?????

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Midwest/07/14/m...s.ap/index.html

 

BELLAIRE, Michigan (AP) -- Authorities misidentified two teens in an auto crash that killed one and left the other in critical condition, stunning parents who realized their son was alive after seeing the wrong body in the casket.

 

For days, one family kept a bedside vigil for a bandaged-up boy whom they believed was their badly injured 16-year-old relative. Meanwhile, the other family prepared to bury the boy they thought was their dead 17-year-old relative.

 

But the moment Patrick Bement's parents saw the face of the boy in the casket at the funeral home, they feared a terrible mistake had been made.

 

"We told them, 'It's not our son. It's not Patrick,"' said Michele Bement, the boy's stepmother.

 

The Antrim County Sheriff's Office confirmed the error Wednesday and said it was conducting an investigation to determine what happened. Sheriff Terry L. Johnson offered condolences and apologies to the families of both teens.

 

Deputies said they were in the process of using dental records and fingerprints to positively identify the person killed in Saturday's accident on U.S. 131 north of Alba, about 35 miles from Traverse City.

 

Relatives said the victim was Nathaniel Smith, 16.

 

"You can't even put to words the emotions, other than what an immense, gross tragedy -- a double tragedy," said Smith's uncle, Steve Bohatch.

 

The crash happened as Bement, Smith and their 17-year-old male driver were headed home after spending several days at a cottage in northern Michigan. Their Saturn crossed the center-line and struck a camper being hauled by a pickup truck, deputies said.

 

The Saturn driver was the only person in the car wearing a seat belt and escaped with minor injuries.

 

Deputies said they found Bement's identification near the body, which was ejected from the car, and believed the body to be his. Smith's wallet and identification were in the trunk, and the officers at the scene believed Smith was in the back seat with major head and facial injuries.

 

On Monday, Bement's parents gathered at a Grand Rapids funeral home to prepare for visitation services and to view their son's body.

 

What they saw shocked them: The boy, who had straight hair, did not look at all like their curly haired son. Instead, the boy looked like Smith.

 

"They had told us to be prepared for a shock because it didn't look like him," Michele Bement said. "They kept saying it was because he had a lot of facial damage, a lot of muscle damage. They thought we were in denial."

 

Smith's mother, Oksana Bohatch, had even called her from the hospital to express her condolences and to say she could not attend the funeral, Bement said.

 

"It's a terrible situation," said prosecutor Charles Koop. "I don't know what words you can say to comfort family members when this type of error is made."

It just happens

oh.. now thats fucked up. Imagine the the parents reaction..

my mind would be pretty messed up

I feel ridiculously bad for the familys' whos' kids did acutally die...

Such a horrible thing to go through

It happens to me all the time.

The Antrim County Sheriff's Office are some idiots for that. Points down.

this should spur someone into making a "do you wear your seatbelt" poll thread, i know i rarely ever wear mine when im among friends :o

Originally posted by i11igul

this should spur someone into making a "do you wear your seatbelt" poll thread, i know i rarely ever wear mine when im among friends :o

 

I wear mine every time. But not like it'll make that much of a difference. I have one of those old cars that only has the belt that goes across the waist.

stupid fucks!:lol:

THATS WACK

 

...BUT THE NIGGA WHO SURVIVED CAN NOW START A GAY EMO BAND AND SING SONGS ABOUT HIS FRIENDS WHO DIED AND SHIT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M E R O E.

MLBRTEAM

Originally posted by CrazyLazy

I wear mine every time. But not like it'll make that much of a difference. I have one of those old cars that only has the belt that goes across the waist.

At least it'll keep you in the car, that's the main function of seatbelts. The shoulder belts are just to prevent you from smacking face-first into the steering wheel.

BY THE WAY

 

I ALWAYS WEAR MY SEATBELT, CUZ IM NOT WHITE, AND WHEN I GET PULLED OVER WITHOUT A SEATBELT COPS AUTOMATICALLY PULL OUT GUNS AND YANK ME OUT THE WINDOW...THEN THEY START SNOOPING AROUND AND THEY MIGHT FIND THE MUTHAFUCKIN MAC10 UNDER MY SEAT NIGGA!! PLUS I LIKE TO BE SAFE.

 

 

 

M E R O E

PROFILED

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Now heres something even more fucked up.

 

THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED HERE JUST LAST WEEK! Same place(Grand Rapids). The girl was unable to communicate that she wasnt their daughter for a couple months! They finally figured it out when she was asked to write her name on a piece of paper and she didnt write her "name". Yall can look it up if you want, im not finding any links to it.

article:

 

Families of mistakenly identified students struggle with feelings

 

VanRyn family's blog: http://www.lauravanryn.blogspot.com/

 

By Tamara Audi, Amber Hunt, Marisol Bello, Detroit Free Press

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In the blur of days following the revelation that Whitney Cerak lives and Laura VanRyn does not, a delicate drama is playing out as both groups of family and friends attempt to manage a miracle chained to a tragedy.

 

So far, both the Ceraks and the VanRyns have remained cloistered for the same reason — sensitivity to the other family, according to those who have been in contact with the families — an indication of how closely the Ceraks' joy is tied to the VanRyns' grief.

 

"Soon after we saw Whitney, our family met with the VanRyns and our joy for ourselves was pushed aside by the pain we felt for them. It is hard because our joy is their pain," Carly Cerak, Whitney's sister, wrote in an online journal Thursday night.

 

"We know the pain they now feel all too well and our hearts break with them. There is a deep connection that has been made between our families and together we look to God as we walk through this..… Earlier today my dad said, 'Every time I look at Whitney I think of the VanRyns.' We are so blessed and overjoyed about Whitney but our hearts and prayers are heavily on the VanRyns."

 

MISTAKEN ID: Confusion started at horrific crash scene

 

The VanRyns stayed in their Caledonia home, southeast of Grand Rapids, and took care to note their happiness for the Ceraks in a Web posting even as they made preparations Friday to have their 22-year-old daughter's body exhumed from a gravesite in Gaylord and brought to Grand Rapids. A memorial is planned for Laura VanRyn today.

 

The Ceraks stayed by their 19-year-old daughter's side in the one-story brick rehabilitation center just outside Grand Rapids, declining to publicly air their elation.

 

"They're completely aware of what the VanRyns are going through, because they went through it themselves and they don't want to do anything to make the situation harder for the VanRyns than it already is," said Bruce Rossman, spokesman for Spectrum Health, which runs the center.

 

That sense of muted celebration extended 200 miles away, to the Ceraks' hometown of Gaylord. Many in the tight-knit community with fewer than 4,000 residents know the Ceraks through the Gaylord Evangelical Free Church, where Newell Cerak, Whitney's father, is a youth pastor. Colleen Cerak, Whitney's mother, is a gym teacher at the intermediate school.

 

"The mixed emotions here are unbelievable," said Gail Skerratt, whose daughter Kim is organizing a Wednesday spaghetti dinner to raise money to help offset the Ceraks' new medical bills. "You feel guilty for feeling so good. We're all sorting through that."

 

Picking up on the Ceraks' cue, many in the town are tight-lipped when asked to describe their feelings about the news that Whitney Cerak is alive.

 

A Gaylord High School graduate who said he's a member of the Ceraks' church declined to talk for fear of seeming insensitive to the VanRyns.

 

Many in the community, bonded by grief over Whitney Cerak's loss, are now struggling to resurrect the woman in their minds and in their choice of words.

 

Skerratt said her son Robbie "was — is — a friend" of Cerak. "So strange," she said. "From 'was' to 'is'. "

 

.....

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-06-04-mistakenID-families_x.htm

Get tattoos, not only are they cool but they can identify your body in the wreakage.

Better yet, get a tattoo of your blood type.

 

But imagine yourself trying to tell the officials that the body you saw isn't your son!

I'm sure that's not easy as they're telling you that you're hysterical.

That's like a lousy TV drama becomes reality.

fucked...

What the fuck? This just happened in chicago 2 weeks ago. There was a car crash with 4 teens 3 of them died and 2 girls looked a like and they confused identities. So the people who thought that theyre daughter was getting better in reality theyre daughter was dead.

 

But imagine yourself trying to tell the officials that the body you saw isn't your son!

I'm sure that's not easy as they're telling you that you're hysterical.

That's like a lousy TV drama becomes reality.

 

i don't think so

this is the whole reason why they do identifications at morgues.

 

it was determined to be the assistant coroners fault because he told the woman's sister not to look at the body

These fucking idiots.

 

There's only one word for this: Lawsuit. Fuck'em it's inevitable..

This shit is super fucked up...best believe if I was at somebodies bedside praying for a few months and then I found out it wasn't who I thought it was I'd be hurting alot of people

These fucking idiots.

 

There's only one word for this: Lawsuit. Fuck'em it's inevitable..

if it happened to me, lawsuit would be the last thing on my mind.

god damn micheganians