Dental records reveal mix-up in car crash victims

Jul 25, 2010

Dental records were used again to clear up a tragic case of mistaken identity in which a family held weeklong vigil for a teenage girl before learning that her best friend was the one who actually died in an Arizona car crash, according to news stories

Instead of planning Abby Guerra's funeral, family and friends are hoping for her recovery after learning that Arizona authorities misidentified her in a July 18 auto accident near Phoenix, according to WTOP.com.

Guerra, 19, was initially listed as having died at the scene of the crash, and her best friend, Marlena Cantu, 21, as the girl who survived, though with a badly bruised and swollen face. But Cantu was the girl who was actually killed, and Guerra was in critical condition with a brain injury, broken back, and other injuries, according to the story.

Cantu and Guerra were among a group of five friends from Ironwood High School outside Phoenix who were returning from Disneyland when the sport utility vehicle they were in blew a tire and crashed, rolling over several times. The group was traveling back to their native Arizona from California, authorities told the families.

Guerra's family spent the past week planning her funeral, and teammates from her University of Evansville soccer team in Indiana planned to fly to Phoenix to attend it. Instead they rushed to her bedside July 24 after learning of the mix-up.

The Guerra family held a car wash over the weekend to raise money for Abby's funeral, but now the money will go toward her hospital bills and Cantu's funeral.

In 2006, a similar mix-up occurred in Indiana when two young women who looked alike were involved in a deadly car accident.