A family on Staten Island, New York, has been through a roller coaster of emotions when authorities misinformed them that their loved one had died in an automobile accident.
Glen Devora, Nagengast’s lawyer, said that Sheila Nagengast of Staten Island was informed by police that her sister Denise Owens, 44, had been murdered the day after a pedestrian was killed in a crash on October 30.
According to Devora, the family was “devastated” by the news and didn’t find out that it was another woman, not Owens, who had passed away until 36 hours later.
“They had to notify the rest of their family members, including their kids, about what happened. They even went as far to start planning funeral arrangements and discussions of whether or not they would have an autopsy, decisions you would make when discussing the death of a loved one,” Devora stated.
According to authorities, Staten Island resident Justine Perez, 37, perished in the collision. On Wednesday, police admitted their error.
“During the course of our initial investigation, the NYPD misidentified the victim of a fatal vehicle collision,” police stated. “Upon further investigation, a proper identification and subsequent family notification was made. We apologize for the unfortunate grief we may have caused.”
Police added in a second statement that the victim was a 44-year-old woman, that the collision happened at the Staten Island intersection of Hyland Boulevard and New Dorp Lane at around 10:30 p.m. on October 30.
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According to police, the pedestrian was struck by an 18-year-old guy operating a Nissan Maxima. According to the statement, the motorist stayed at the scene and no one was taken into custody, although an investigation was still underway.
According to authorities, the pedestrian was pronounced deceased at Staten Island University Hospital’s north campus. In their statements, police did not explain how the error occurred.
According to Devora, the police agency has not “fully explained how the mix-up happened.” He claimed that two families were in “disarray” as a result of the deadly incident and the way the police handled the situation, adding that “they haven’t fully explained why they notified the first family of the mistake.”
According to Devora, he is also acting on behalf of the Perez family, who were “planning a funeral.”
Owens “wasn’t walking in the area at the time [of the collision],” according to Devora, who is attempting to figure together how the error was made. She was unaware of what had happened.
