The book “Mistaken Identity,” which chronicles the aftermath of a fatal accident with Taylor University students, has been on sale in Cornerstone’s bookstore since its release on March 25, 2008.

Tree of Life Bookstore, based in Marion, Ind., owns Cornerstone’s bookstore. Since Tree of Life is located near Taylor, “they were big on getting books in stores and making sure we had it,” Rachel Measell, Cornerstone’s store manager, said.

Don and Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak helped write the book with author Mark Tabb.

Besides the national media covering the event, the accident in April 2006 continues to be a difficult experience for many people.

Andy Smith, associate professor of Bible, is the pastor at Forest Hills Bible Chapel where the Van Ryn family attends. He acted as the media spokesperson for the Van Ryn family shortly after news of the identity mix-up.

Smith has reflected on all the events that followed and his initial thoughts. “It is by far the most bizarre story that I have ever been around in all years of ministry,” Smith said. “I hope to never see anything like that again.”

“I remember thinking ‘boy, that doesn’t look like Laura,’ but thought it was. Because of the accident, she looked different,” Smith said. “Now I can say that [the pictures] looks more like Whitney than Laura. But when everyone tells you this is Laura, why would you question that?”

Kate Warners, a junior and elementary major, knows the Van Ryn family from working at the Upper Peninsula Bible Camp. Both Warners and the Van Ryn family have been spending summers at the camp for many years, Warners said.

Warners observed the events unfold from Chicago, where she was attending Moody Bible College. The current media coverage, including both the Van Ryn and Serak families appearing on the “Today” show, “Oprah” and “Dateline NBC,” has encouraged Warners.

“I think the VanRyn’s and the Seraks have handled it as best as they could. I am so impressed with them,” Warners said. “I admire their godly example for so many people.  They could have easily avoided the whole topic and done nothing about it.”

“They really used it as a way to give God all the glory,” Warners said. “It was probably harder that they had to come out and talk about it, but they realized it was a way to talk about how Jesus had saved them and saved Laura.”

The shocking event of learning about the mistaken identity is a moment Smith will not forget.

“[It is] one of those moments where I’ll forever remember where I was when I heard the news,” Smith said. “Right up there with Kennedy assassination and 9-11. On smaller scale, but profound nonetheless.”

Warners echoed similar feelings of significance. “I would just say for people not to focus on craziness,” Warners said. “Laura was living for Jesus completely and so was [Taylor student] Brad [Larson] and the other people. Know that eternity is so close and heaven is such a real place. That is what it has caused me to do. Examine how I am living, [either] living for temporal or eternal things.”

“Mistaken Identity” has already sold out once at Cornerstone’s bookstore, said Matt Voss, textbook manager at Cornerstone’s bookstore.

The book captivated Weasell, who read the story in four hours on a trip to her in-laws. “Whitney [Cerak’s] in-laws live in Gaylord, and I got to meet her mom,” Weasell said. “I was the first person she met that read the book.”

Weasell urges a broad recommendation to “anyone that is even interested in story that is extremely personal,” Weasell said. “You walk throughout it with them. I suggest having tissues.”

Reading the book also touched Warners. “My perspective changed because I found out more specific details because of everything that had happened,” Warners said. “Overall, I think they wrote exactly what needed to be written. I think they gave the focus to God that was needed and not just focus on their own tragedy, even though that was hard.”