I’m going through this right now with my son. He was a passenger in a vehicle and someone ran the light and hit them. Now my son has brain injury and the injuries are in multiple areas. He still hasn’t woken up it’s been a week. If anyone sees this,can y’all say a prayers for my boy? He is only 24 with his whole life ahead of him.
@MrBallen although there is a lot more to this story, I think you did a good job with it. I am actually Whitney`s Husband. We were dating for about a year at this point. I want to say thank you for touching on the relationship between the two families. The VanRyn family is amazing. Truly incredible, loving people. After they found out about the mix up they didn't flip out and stomp out of the hospital. They stayed by Whitney's side even though they knew it wasnt Laura. They supported her and watched over her until her parents could get there. They showed compassion and grace. Beautiful people. We still talk and see each other to this day. Although the mix up gets alot of attention in this story... never forget the 4 others that died as well : Monica, Brad, Betsy, Laurel. They were all amazing.
Yes, you are absolutely correct. We must not forget about the other 4 souls who lost their lives due to this accident. It makes me tear up thinking about the families who all received that phone call that changed their lives forever. Such a great loss. Lots of love.
I was ok during the story until I got to your comment. It broke me. As a mother I cannot imagine what either family had to endure & honestly I hope I never do. Thank you for sharing some of the blessings that came out of such a tragedy. I’m going to order the book now.
@@lagear2165 her teeth were NEVER messed up! Whitney's were different from Laura's so they appeared to be "messed up". they thought that Whitney was Laura. and bc of the accident the whole jaw/teeth had been shifted ( actually happens quite frequenly in violent accidents). however it WASN'T Laura it WAS Whitney. therefore there was no shifting of the jaw/teeth. smh i'd like to tell you to go back to school for some reading comprehension but there was no reading involved.... so maybe put a finger in one ear while listening so what your listening to stays in there and catches on whatever is rattling around in there, maybe that will help??
This made me cry. The fact that the family stayed by Whitney even though she wasn't theirr daughter is seriously beautiful. I cannot imagine the turmoil that family must've had to endure right at that moment. I wish you and Whitney all the best and I hope she's full healed now from her accident.
When you specifically mentioned one girl had a closed casket visitation, and then other girl was alive but bandaged head to toe, my mind immediately went to this horrible outcome. How do you even begin to explain this to the families? I can't even begin to fathom how they felt.
@@NothingIsWrongToday wow that’s very nice for you , you must have a different operating system or browser, your not the only person who exists , and bro isn’t the only person who finds losers posting a summary annoying..
Aw man imagine thinking your daughter survived just to learn she actually didnt make it and the girl you think is your daughter isnt your child. That would crush me
i know right-- that's absolutely crushing-- like id just die on the spot id spontaneously combust- ok but in all seriousness yea that would be crushing and would be horrible for someone's mental health and would hurt so bad-
As a paramedic myself, they did their job. People dont understand what 'load and go' means. You see this is a life and death situation, you get that person to the hospital. The hospital has so much more time to properly ID. I wouldnt even call this a screw up by the medics at all. They helped prolong her life.
That’s a really great point. The paramedics saved a life. It was much more the hospital that didn’t ID properly, or someone else in this situation.This video should definitely be titled differently.
@@jencita8509not the first time one of his titles don't make sense. I do enjoy his storytelling but there's too much opinion and dare I say embellishments?.
This is the first “strange, dark, and mysterious” story I can recall having foreseen the “twist” coming. These poor families. It’s awe inspiring what they made out of such a tragic event. Thank you for telling their story with such grace and style. You’re the best at that!
I was able to predict what happened because the show "9-1-1" had an episode where a segment was based off this event. Of course, at the time, I didn't know it was inspired by a true event.
@@ReddyReader I knew as soon as I heard they were both blonde.....It was all over the news at the time. The excuse used was they had the same hair as to why no one figured it out.
I've heard this story before, and one detail that was left out, was that "Whitney's" funeral was filmed, so she literally got to watch her own funeral...Everyone that showed up, everything that was said about her.....That must've been profound to see.
In 2010 my best friend and I were thrown out of the windshield of my truck and my friend sadly passed away at the scene. The paramedics mixed the two of us up and they told my parents that I was the one who passed away. The paramedics drove my family to the hospital to see a grievance counselor and while they were waiting, a nurse came out and told my parents that I was awake and stable enough for a visit. My parents said “you must have us mixed up, our son didn’t survive” so the nurse came back to me and asked my birthday etc etc and she went back and said “he says he is your son, so you should probably come and see” and of course they then found out that I was the one who survived. Conversely, my buddy’s family then got the news that he was in fact the one who didn’t survive
That's horrible for both families, I'm sorry you lost your buddy, that's traumatic when aren't with them when you lose them, I can't imagine having been WITH any of my deceased friends when it happened...
how are these people so irresponsible as to not even check who is who, the fact that this has happened multiple times... they really need to do some basic steps to confirm people's identities
I was worried about watching this one. My grandma was the staff member that was lost in this accident. This is something I have had to relive so many times in my life and yet I hadn't seen these pictures since they were on the news 16 years ago. I've never read the book so I've never heard the story like this. You did such a good job, thank you for being a great story teller.
Thank you for sharing! By sharing that piece of your truth, it makes the “staff member” a real person. She was a mother, a grandmother, and she’s loved and missed! I’m really sorry for your loss!
The moment I heard you mention Laura and Whitney looking very similar and then following it up with the horrible crash, my heart sank. I knew where this story was going. I feel so bad for the families. What a roller coaster of emotions they all had to endure.😔
This same thing happened to my dad when he was a teenager. There was a car accident and both he and his friend were greatly injured and had both crushed their faces beyond recognition, In a miracle with the mixup between my dad and his friend. His friend was in much worse shape and had no insurance, but was mistaken for my father and put in life support and got top quality treatment that he wouldnt have gotten without the mistake and my father's insurance. By the time they fixed the mixup they both were stable and lived through.the ordeal. It was a miracle disguised as a mistake. Without the added help my dad's friends very likely would.have passed away.
That is definitely where my suspicion peaked as well the further he got into the story. When he described what the therapist asked to be written on the paper that the person should have known but kept getting it wromg, it sealed it for me that it was the name. I remembered watching an episode of 9-1-1 that had a similar case to this one with two best friends getting misidentified as the main dilemma for the episode.
@@picklepants4726 Pretty fucked up that he would've been allowed to die because of his insurance situation. Definitely something wrong with that system.
Wow this was a heartbreaking story for Laura's family, and all those that died in the accident. I am so happy for Whitney's family though and so happy the families had such a bond over what happened ❤️
As a recently retired 20 year death investigator this was one of my biggest fears. Misidentifying someone would be absolutely devastating to everyone involved, myself included.
Ballen went from posting 4 videos a week with no sponsors to one video per 4 weeks with a sponsor crowbarred into the middle of the story. I guess the 100s of thousands of dollar he makes from his millions of subscribers isn’t enough. He has to get that extra sponsor money. He became such a greedy sell out
@@jake-y death investigator is a weird title. If he is telling the truth (it’s the internet so there’s a great chance he’s lying) he either would be a detective (working for police) or work as an investigator or doctor for the medical examiner office (but his official title would never be death investigator lol)
Whitney's mother was actually a teacher at my school and she told this story to all of her students over the years, it truly is a story that is a miracle while also being a tragedy. It's crazy to hear this being told by someone I watch regularly.
@@spoodymans If the first thing you do when you see someone who have met the people that are mentioned in the video is releasing the "pic or didn't happen" energy, then it would've been a privilege for them to meet those people irl
I was 5 minutes into the video when I realized the story you were telling. I remember when this happened and it was heart wrenching. Thank you for telling the story with respect.
I’m a CDL driver from Indiana, and it’s terrible that this happened, but it’s crazy how quickly this stuff happens in the road, always pay attention to your surroundings, and if you’re tired or worried ALWAYS pull over!
Company treating truckers like slaves and giving them shit . Sounds well over worked the ones who should get time are the company bosses. He needed sleep he's human
I will.never understand why people pull out in front of a big truck more than they would a small vehicle. They don't understand how dangerous it is. I never did that though before driving a big rig. Stop doing that, idiots. These trucks don't stop easily and they weigh 100x your vehicle. It will be like a brick versus an empty pop can colliding at 20mph
Wow, I actually had a “gasp moment” with this story. I can only imagine the incredible shift in emotions the families had when they learned of the mixup.
This is horrible for everyone involved, and while it was of course just a mistake for the driver, it will haunt him for the rest of his life. These things seem like they'll never happen to you, but we probably come so close to these situations every single day ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Ballen
Sad story...shit happens, unfortunately. Boo! 👻 Wasssssssup mr friend?! Ballen fan too....small world, lol. Great narrating on your latest vid, I really enjoyed listening. Keep up the good work!
Being a truck driver this story terrified me. Every day the thought of having an accident is on my mind. I know I could never live with myself if this happened to me. My prayers go out to both families
And it never will happen if you drive responsibly and don't push yourself beyond your limits meaning take the proper breaks to get sleep in between and you won't have to ever worry about running some poor family down in a minivan or a Bus full of innocent people
Replace your thought of having accident with following affirmations: I am Loveful being. I am safe and protected God's powers. I am the most safe driver in the universe. I spread joy and happiness. I am blessed with everything I need. Om Shanti.
@@sudhirsingare3753 Thanks Bhai it's a good thought, I will be doing the same from now on, as being in this profession I had similar mentality like the above @Daniel Castillo. That was a wise and caring advice.
So sad to think of all those young lives lost! I love that the two families have become close. In a way they can now share in the life and events of the one daughter! Bless them all!! 💖
Oh my god, how horrible…! It started with such a tragic accident, and it just got worse and worse… I’m so glad the two families were able to come together and form a healing bond. And you told the story so well (as usual)! Engaging, but not embellished, all the people and their stories are presented with both respect and gravity. And a lot of us would never hear these people’s stories without MrBallen telling them. Great work.
The heartbreak of the shock in learning that your loved one had long been dead, buried, and mourned under a different name, after an already painful recovery of hoping they will survive when the hope is gone and the spirit has been so mistakenly dishonored. What a cruelty that Fate had given to Laura.
@@crystal480 i guess complimenting someone who works really hard, who's hard work you benefit from week after week, is outside your emotional range. We're nice here, so be kind.
Thank you for your service. Hope all is well for you, I’ve never been in that kind of situation but doing healthcare, i only lasted 3 years max because of the toll it took mentally. It really takes a special kind of person to hold down healthcare jobs tbh, again thank you.
Only if EMT was incredibly incompetent. We would get patients in ER with exact names with exact conditions! And even same age! Doesn't that put staff on high alert? When two ppl "look alike" after a car accident and the belongings were strewn it would have made sense to maybe double check that instead of heaping any old bag onto the stretcher of any blonde and saying yeah they go together. Sad.
I thought they were VERY DISTINGUISHABLE looking between the two. They're blond, blue eyes, similar body types. That's basically it. Now, with the commotion, dim lighting and dim witted Firemen at the scene, I can understand HOW they COULD make that mistake, ESPECIALLY with the purses. But still. And people's eyes don't change. You can Mummify my teenage daughter till you're out of TP. But I'd know IMMEDIATELY it WASN'T HER. And I sure AF WOULDN'T let nurses (whom AREN'T doctors as NURSE training is nothing and they're NOT that special and they ALL HAVE ATTITUDES. Dental Assistants DON'T. Nurses ARE Doctors' ASSISTANTS and with my experience, I don't allow nurses NEAR me unless they're male. Ever. And it does create a little issue in the E.R. but oh well tubby, this is my life. The amount of FCK UPS I've seen with those GAWD DAMNED IVs is SICKENING. Who puts them in with that HUFFING and PUFFING frustration for NOTHING that they ALWAYS HAVE? Female nurses ESPECIALLY. Usually well over weight. But the job consists of LOTS OF MOVING. I NEVER SEE FAT MALE NURSES. EVER. And OBVIOUSLY OVER WEIGHT PPL aren't ACCUSTOMED TO MOVING ALOT. Hence...) tell me SH*T if I have my OWN intuitions about MY DAUGHTER. #femalenursessuck
@@JamesHeinrich-vk7vz Why are you screaming. Stop the gender bullshit, if you've got your certificate you're good. I'd rather have dim witted firemen than none (but the burden of proof, that they were dim witted is to you). I'd say you cloud'nt even tell the difference between a male and a female mummie.
Bruh this story was so crazy! Geez how heartbreaking to find out that it’s not your daughter who survived but then the realization that she actually passed…but man I’m glad Whitney had survived and the families stayed in touch ❤
Everyone that had gone to Whitney’s funeral drove down and attended Laura’s funeral. I’m from Gaylord and remember all of this. My kids knew Whitney, her sister and her Mom. As I did as well. Whitney is married and has 2 kids. She has written a book about her experience. They are a very wonderful family and yes, have stayed close to Laura’s family.
I'm from Michigan and I remember this story. I think it was the sister who first realized that it wasn't Laura but I can also understand how desperately the famly wanted to cling to the hope that she was still alive. How surreal it must have been for Whitney's parents to get that second phone call. Goosebumps.
Same, live an hour away from Gaylord so it was big news all around here and I believe you are correct that it was the sister who had said something... So tragic
I had no idea I was a fan of the strange, dark and mysterious until I discovered Mr. Ballen. You were born to tell other people's stories! Thank you so much 🥰
I remember hearing about this event and wondering how bad officials screwed up. After looking into the case more, I could see how something like this happened. What a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone.
Still, the mistake should not have happened. I'm glad to hear they changed their procedure for identification, but it could still happen in other states, right? I guess it is up to families to insist on scientific positive identification.
Still, the mistake should not have happened. I'm glad to hear they changed their procedure for identification, but it could still happen in other states, right? I guess it is up to families to insist on scientific positive identification.
Mr. Ballen is the only one that I actually watch the ads.. hes such a great story teller.. he makes me laugh so much during the ads. Mr. Ballen and Bailey Siran are my absolute favorites....
I can imagine that the trauma of burying and then grieving for your daughter would still last even after later finding out she was alive in hospital. And for the other family, what a terrible shock.
I knew a family where the police came, told Mom and Dad their teen son had been killed in a car accident. Parents were destroyed, 3 hrs later their son walks in the door, confusion, elation, etc turned out it was his cousin his same age thatd been killed so even though their son was alive, their nephew was dead. It was a mess.
My heart aches for both families, but I can't imagine the awful grief Laura's parents felt to think their daughter was alive only to be told she actually had died.
@@labradoriteatheart I don't think that you understood @Hippo_Dame's comment. Obviously they want their child back and are grieving. But the fact that she wasn't buried in an unmarked grave or at a funeral that no one attended is better than nothing.
@@hippo_dame7028 IDK, but it seems it would make the tragedy more difficult to accept for the family by not having the opportunity to personally see their loved one and say goodbye one last time.
I can’t even imagine what those two families went through. One family thinking that their daughter is alive and the other thinking that their daughter has passed. Having a funeral for your daughter and then being told weeks later that she is still alive must have been shocking. The other family had to be devastated when they found out that the girl in the hospital wasn’t their daughter. My son was killed in a motorcycle accident in June of 2021. His funeral was with a closed casket also. As much as I wanted to see him I decided it was for the best that I didn’t. The Army National Guard did eventually give me an opportunity to see him but out of respect for my son I decided against it. He had served full time in the military police unit based in Murray, Kentucky for 15 years working towards a full career.
I did a Sociology project on this case in my first year of college. When you go deep into the psychology of what each member of both families experienced, it's mind-blowing. It was actually Laura's boyfriend who made the discovery that she couldn't possibly be Laura. The book, Mistaken Identity, is definitely worth the read.
Did you, at all, get to delve into the truck driver and how his family had felt? I’m sure they must’ve felt some type of way learning what had happened and the guilt that this man must harbor. I’m just curious about that side too is all.
I lost my son 3 years ago. My heart breaks for both of these families... Having spent every day for 3 years wishing he would walk back through my door, I could not imagine the trauma of thinking your child survived only to be told they'd got them mixed up!! I'm sure Laura's family are suffering just as much!! Love & prayers sent to both of them. It's lovely to know they bonded & worked on their story together.
I've become so addicted to the point where it had to be fun little movie night and watch MrBallen content with the fam, love it man! Your story telling is mesmerizing!
This happens more than you would think, happened to my friend in high school both of them passed in a car accident and one of them had a fake ID and it wasn’t his real ID it was another guys that we all used to hang out with. Police called his parents and told them their son was in a fatal car accident and they ran upstairs and their son was sleeping in bed, it didn’t make it as far as this video but wow what a tragedy
As someone who’s lost a child this story has always tugged at my heart. I can’t imagine being called a month after the funeral to be told my child hadn’t been killed in an accident and it was all a big misunderstanding. It’s the dream of every parent that goes thru that! And at the same time, there’s still a family grieving the loss of their daughter. It’s something you just never get over. My heart goes out too both families.❤️
I'm surprised nobody mentioned why the trucker fell asleep. It's a dangerous job because drivers have to drive unreasonably long hours in order to make a living. So much reform needs to happen surrounding the driving hours of truckers.
I agree. I feel awful for him because he was probably just trying to make ends meet. I sincerely doubt the trucking company he worked for faced any repercussions. Insanely sad.
As of several years ago, laws have been passed and now enforced regarding provisions, requirements, limitations, among other things and any CDL carrying motorist is now monitored via a number of methods.. including the truck driver's equivalent to a drunk driving offender's interlock device.
Man..everything about this was just so heart wrenching. All the family’s effected by the loss of loved one’s and that poor truck driver who now has the lives of 5 young peoples on his conscious the rest of his life.
My heart goes out to all of the parents of the students who were in that crash. The circumstances around the two young women's identities being mistaken are astounding. One detail I wonder about is - knowing how convoluted our medical insurance coverage can be - the legal issues must have been very unique as well. I would love to read the book the families co-authored to find out how this part of it went down. Thank you for this episode Mr Ballen. So much to think about.
Aye, I did medical billing for quite a while and thought about this for a second, but the medical coverage would have been all through the same automobile policy so it was likely easier for them to switch everything rather than if it was going off of two individual Healthcare policies. So horrible what all the families had to go through. Even the family that got their daughter back had already gone through grieving her for quite some time before finding out that she survived and that they hadn't been able to be there when she needed them while recovering.
@@robincharles7057 Thank you for the clarification about the automobile policy covering everything. That would have hopefully made things less complicated for these families, so they could focus on what's important. The connection between the two families must be so great now, because Whitney was cared for so lovingly as a daughter by Laura's family. Laura was grieved as a daughter by Whitney's family.
@@jennyfitzpatrick8085 >read comments after viewing video >expect everyone all the time to add spoiler alert to their comments i.e. most comments One of these is realistic, one of them is not.
I remember this case; it made national news for a day or two. It was so heartbreaking for Laura's family, but a joyous miracle to Whitney's. As the story evolved, I was struck by the kindness and empathy of both families in the way that they handled this very tragic mistake. Laura's family, of course devastated, respectfully allowed Whitney's to rejoice in their good fortune. Whitney's family did not celebrate wildly, and gave Laura's family that compassion, support, and the time to come to grips with the with the loss of Laura. That both families formed a strong bond didn't surprise the people who knew each family as mature, reasonable, and kind folks. May God bless them all! This is by definition a truly bittersweet outcome. 😊😭❤💔🙏🙏
As a driver. This has always been one of my biggest fears. I'm proud to be 15 years accident free and free of accidents with injury for my entire career. I can only imagine what he deals with everyday of his life.
EDIT: I read up on it and found the following: "Spencer, 37, of Canton, Mich., had had five tickets since 1999, as well as a warning letter from the Michigan Secretary of State's Office." That does better explain his sentencing. -------------- I'm surprised he was sentenced that harshly. Was he breaking any rules, being negligent, had he been driving too long, dozing off beforehand, or on substances? It seems like manslaughter normally comes after someone ignores safety or common sense and accidentally kills others because of that negligent behavior. This seems like a complete accident, unless he was breaking rules or ignoring safety. Accidentally killing five people and having to live with that seems like punishment enough (or maybe he loses his license altogether or is put on house arrest or probation). Four years in prison seems excessive. I do feel for him in addition to all the families.
@@jwrigley47 4 years isn't harsh, that's less than a year for every young life he took. It wasn't an accident either, driving tired is as bad as driving drunk.
@@jwrigley47 when people die as a direct cause of someone else, there has to be punishment. I highly doubt the family of those 5 that died thought that 4 years in prison was a fair trade. Not that a long sentence would’ve made them feel any better. I was surprised it wasn’t MORe years.
Wow. I can't imagine the emotional roller-coaster these families experienced... It's great to see that they bonded, and remained close throughout this ordeal. Through such a traumatic journey, I hope they were able to heal and make peace with the neglectful actions of the truck driver. ❤️
He fell asleep after the trucking company he worked for pulled his allotted rests, they basically wanted him to deliver and return without any breaks at all. Like anyone, he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed. Trucking companies will do stupid stuff like this all the time when it comes to their regulations, they will bend the laws to their advantage and when something goes wrong they blame the employee for not following procedure. Happens all the time. I can't say for sure that's exactly what happened but I remember him or his lawyer mentioning it and it sounded all too familiar at the time.
@@HardWhereHero Pretty much what I thought, you hear those stories quite often where the companies just treta their drivers like that and basically expect them to go far above their (probably everones) limit, which unavoidably leads to accidents. Just too bad there is next ti no accountability on their part.
More like the greed of the company he drove for pressured him into the circumstances that led to this tragedy. I cant imagine what it's like having to live with what the driver does weighing on his conscience especially while the greedy employer walks around acting as though they are completely innocent. We have all fallen asleep at inappropriate times (school, church, during sex, etc) and in this case it happened to be in a loaded truck while going down the highway. And in this case a simple human thing led to many human lives being devastated.
I have heard about this story before! Such a tragedy for both families! Imagine burying your child and mourning like they were to find out she’s alive. And the other family had thought their daughter had survived only to find out she didn’t had to be devastating! I feel so bad for the families, both of them! Now I’m going to have to read the book! Thanks for covering this one Mr. Ballen!
As a father to an amazing little girl, I can honestly say some of these stories scare me so much as my daughter is my life. But at the same time these videos are great. Great content mate! My condolences to the families. I can’t imagine losing my child, and I’m so sorry you lost yours.
As a former truck driver I hate it when things like this happen. Just about everyone knows truck drivers are regulated by the DOT to keep them from being up too long and falling asleep at the wheel like in this story. Truck drivers know how easy it is to forge a log book and make oneself look legal when they’re not. I always hate it when drivers blame their company for “pushing” them because it’s not the trucking companies that cause it. It’s the companies that we haul for. They don’t care if they keep you there all day or night to get you loaded or unloaded. I have delivered at a company that fined or took away money from the fee that they paid my company for hauling the load if I was late by more than 20 minutes on my scheduled delivery time. Then I went to the other side of the building to pick up a load from the same company and I sat there 9 1/2 hours waiting to get loaded. Truck drivers are not the greatest people ever but 99% are honest hardworking people just trying to support their families.
My ex husband forged his log books for almost each load Driving when he should've had down time. Hence most trucking companies have switched to electronic log books
I used electronic logs and they would end up forcing me to take my sleep break during the day after a full shift, so I don't get sleep, then finally begin a 14 hour shift driving at night right when I am about to get sleepy. The electronic logs make it hard to drive when you're feeling up to driving.
The trucking companies are the ones who get hit with penalties for breaking DoT regulations, though. If the customer wants something Wednesday, and threatens to pay less if it's delivered Thursday, someone at the trucking company makes the decision to not say, "Okay, then, how about we fire you as a customer and work for customers who understand how the world works? Good luck finding a shady company to make your deliveries." My husband worked for a trucking company who tried to pull that crap on him some years back, and he quit and moved to a different company. That first company is no longer in operation due to so many violations and lawsuits, as well as not being able to hire anyone who wasn't new or desperate (and therefore more likely to be pushed into violations).
Logbooks can also have the opposite effect of what they're supposed to do too though. I've been out of hours woken up 5 hours before I could kick off again and been unable to go back to sleep before my departure time. Transporting livestock so I never had the luxury of being able to pull over for extended periods of time back then so a quick 15-30 minute powernap was sometimes the best I could get.
I remember seeing about this on TV several years back. I feel for both families, but I’m impressed at how gracefully they both handled the situation. I believe that Whitney started telling Laura’s parents that they weren’t her family, which they kind of looked at as a result of brain damage. After some time, she was able to tell them that her name was Whitney, and that was when the pieces started to fall into place.
Please pray for this man and all truck drivers! Imagine having to live with this! I was hit and dragged by a dump truck at 15. I never blamed the guy. He couldn't live with himself and the stress caused him to have a heart attack. I truly wished I could have seen him as he wanted but at 15 I couldn't. I was in too much pain. I think he's probably dead now as I'm 60 but hope he found peace!
I agree, truly terrible accident for him too, not only 4 years in prison but he will live with a guilt for the rest of his life. In many countries truck drivers sometimes have to drive for 10-14 hours to make it on time, no wonder he fell asleep, he was just doing his job.
@@Elldar111 I don’t feel sorry for him he fell asleep behind the wheel if you are feeling tired you need to pull over and go to sleep not keep driving it totally is his fault and he should have gotten more time
"Whitneys gaze would move from her reflection, up to the clock on the wall and she would see she was running late" Honestly its this type of detail oriented narrating that makes Mr. Ballen next level. Homie literally paints a picture in your mind with his words.
@@Wheatybic nah I think ur in the minority there bud. His ability to add vivid detail is what separates him from everyone else on TH-cam with the same content.
Yeah, Im not watching this directly, but just listening to it in the background. This really helps me get whats going on without pictures. That quote in particular really shook me up! i thought something else was gonna happen
I always think about how no matter how careful you live your life, it can always dramatically change for the worse or even end simply by being at the wrong place, at the the wrong time.
I had no idea where this story was going until he mentioned the light, then I remember hearing about this. I can’t imagine the emotional turmoil those families went through. Heart wrenching.
if anything strange dark or mysterious ever happens to me, I want Mr Ballen to tell my story. No one talks about the victims in these stories better than he does, so kind, so respectful! Never stop ♥️
“…the sheer volume of cockroaches crawling out of her mouth shocked and stunned onlookers, buuuuuuut, one of the onlookers was a entomologist and he determined this cockroach duvet, this mass exodus of shiny carapaces was because there wasn’t enough room in her body for these voracious creatures AND their millions of eggs…”
Oh my God I love this, what a brilliant idea 😀 If I ever read of anything happening to you I'll be sure to send your story to Mr Ballen to cover and in saying that I hope I never hear of your name again and I mean that in the nicest possible way haha 🤣🤣
John, I was buried alive head down up to one ankle above the surface in a landslide and survived, with injuries. Conscious under the dirt and rock the entire terrifying time. The experience underground when you’re suffocating to death and crushed is right out of a horror script. It permanently changed my head and heart space.. BBC London contacted me for a survivor series and I know for a fact you’d do the story absolutely proud. I could send you their segment link privately, and write the base content for you. Even the emergency personnel couldn’t understand why I wasn’t deceased. It’s not dark enough, even though what goes through your mind and soul is the stuff of nightmares. But it is textbook mysterious, there are weird details the authorities went back to try and answer later. You periodically cover survivor stories and I’d be honoured to send you all media links and newspaper clippings privately. I had to shake down the media, they got it wrong and said I was digging for diamonds. That made my life hell for months, I’d be recognized in public as the “Dirt Woman” with my shoulder sling and cornered to talk about it. Sometimes I’d agree, most times I politely begged off. I’m a writer, if you’re going to cover my accident, do the damn job correctly! I corrected their errors in the public. Other than media seeking me out, I’ve never reached out other than to correct inaccuracies. I’m a communications specialist and just wanted it to silently go away. I respect your communicative skill set so much, it would be an honour to share this through your narrative expertise. As a survivor, I cringe every time I hear about a burial death, including these coffin stories, because the experience is as isolating as it gets. The only other hell I can imagine is being jettisoned out into space after a cable snap. I love your work and I know you’re deluged with story prospects. Thanks for your time.
This one gave me chills in a different way than your videos normally do. I stopped to help a wreck on the interstate almost 5 years ago. Me and another person were both ran over by an 18 wheeler. I saw it coming but could not get out of the way in time. My first solid memory came 3 and a half weeks later. I was in the hospital for a month and a half. I broke every bone in my body except my right arm. Internal bleeding, a TBI, multiple lacerations, and my entire left foot was degloved (all the skin came off). I have made a full recovery and I’m so thankful every day to still be alive. Thank you for what you do MrBallen.
So thankful you recovered! At least physically, I’m sure it will take much time for the mental scars to soften. Thank you for stopping to help another person in their time of need! Did the other individual who stopped with you survive? I’m praying for your continued recovery ❤️🩹
Can you imagine what the parents went through? The sheer joy at finding out the daughter you thought you had buried was still alive, vs the absolute devastation of finding out the daughter you thought has survived this horrible tragedy had in fact been buried days ago.
The minute you started the story I already knew what this was about! My mom was at the same hospital during the same time frame of the accident. I remember college kids in circles praying. At the time I didn't know the severity of the situation. I read the book when it came out. What both families had to go through is so heartbreaking 💔.
I admit, it’d be cool to hear another cool story where practically the only explanation is “something paranormal happened.” Although I’m 90% sure that he mainly does that during October, right?
What a miracle that she was able to remember her name! I can't imagine the horror of both families, the ones who actually lost their daughter, and the ones who buried the wrong daughter.
As soon as he mentioned that they were incredibly similar followed by the accident I KNEW they had the wrong person. That had to be so incredibly difficult to go through and it's so tragic.
I love that he includes those small details because it gives you a chance to piece it together before he states it and it's very rewarding when he confirms what happened.
Yeah, whenever he mentions small details, it always becomes really important in the end. If he mentions a name in his story for a person that seems irrelevant, they either become a victim or a killer. For example he said a story before where a girl was strangled to death and he showed a photo of the girl at the start of the vid with a friend who was named who didn't seem to have any importance in the story, only for the named friend to be the killer.
I went to school with Whitney! She was, and I guarantee still is, one of the most generous and kind people I have ever met in my life. God bless her and her family 🙏 ♥
My heart broke for these families. To find out that your daughter had not survived she'd actually died and that another family had a whole funeral and buried your daughter. Damn my heart broke for that family.
@@ayf_ Yeah, and truckers work in a crazy industry where they call their supervisor and ask to pull over because they're a danger to be on the road, and they're told to stay on schedule. I wonder how many close calls there were before he finally just couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Just a tragedy. Jail isn't going to do anything but ruin his life going forward. That doesn't help anyone involved.
@@ayf_ I feel for the driver too. But consequences need to be in place. If you're so tired that your starting to fall alseep you need to know to pull over rather than risk 4 years in jail.
Thank you for talking about this story. The amount of people that I know who don’t know the story behind the memorial chapel becomes bigger and bigger every year. As time passes and people who knew those students graduate and leave, the significance of the chapel can become lost. As a current Taylor student I know that it took me a long time to find out that the prayer chapel was a memorial. Thank you for reminding us of the significance.
I don't understand...why doesn't the university make it obvious that the prayer chapel is a memorial? Are the students' pictures and names not displayed somewhere? It seems to me that if the knowledge of this event and its tie to the chapel is fading, then the university is to blame for this. Perhaps they should be approached and told that it needs to be made more obvious.
@@sgtsilk18 It is very possible that Loretta's comment was meant for Mr. Ballen, and not for the comment it appeared under. I have seen and even experienced a couple of time where comments get posted in the wrong place.
Mr. Ballen, please don't ever stop creating content. I literally consume your videos on a daily basis, and I genuinely love how amazing your stories are. Keep up the incredible work brother!
@@MrBallen Have you ever retold the Incident at The Land Between Lakes Incident where a family was killed while they were just starting to set up their camp site, but a young boy survived the attack by hiding under their RV? Perhaps research The Cherokee Little People are Real too. We so love the way you tell these accounts. Thank you so much! Walk in beauty dear 💖
I've heard this story before but Mr. Ballen's version is much more comprehensive. I cannot imagine what the families went through especially when they realized the mistake the first responders had made. I'm glad both families were able to get together and deal with the mistake. And best of all become friends.
Is it? I still have no idea if the guy was drunk or what caused him to lose control, what happened to the rest of the passengers, etc. But somehow I know the inner thoughts of a woman as she was trying to decide what to wear lol I have questions! Still very enjoyable 😉
This has to be one of the most bittersweet stories I've heard. So incredibly awful for one family to find out their daughter is dead, and already been buried in another state. But so happy for the other family to find out their daughter is actually alive.
Thank you for keeping me sane while I do my delivery job! So many of your stories have encouraged me to look into them deeper and you are always so respectful to the victims. You have also really helped me cope with my chronic illness so sending love from Brisbane Australia 🇦🇺
This is so heartbreaking. On one hand, it's almost beautiful how everything turned out, but it's still completely devastating. Also, as someone who has been hit head-on by an 18-wheeler, this was really hard to hear 💔
My heart breaks for both families. As a funeral director I see and feel families trauma every day and this would be absolutely heart wrenching. I'm glad the families had each other at the end of the day. It doesn't replace their lost daughter but it does help when there is someone to help share the burden or early unexpected loss.
Incredible story. I figured it out as you were talking about her writing the wrong thing, and I realized it was the wrong name. The horror of what that meant was shocking to me, and I felt heartbroken for Laura’s parents. I’m glad the families were able to bond over the terrible situation.
I kinda figured it out when he said they looked alike and then they had the accident and that one survived. I was like ahh shit its gonna be the wrong child
I realized it kinda straight away. I remember watching a House MD episode back in the day where two girls looked alike where 1 died and q survived with severe injuries and they mixed them up at the hospital giving the families the wrong news.
My friend was part of the staff, and a survivor that was in the wreck. I will definitely make sure she watches this. Maybe she would be so kind as to give some perspective on what she went through during this tragedy.
I admire the Van Rin family. It would be so easy to fall into resentment when you have the hope that your daughter survived taken away. It takes a lot of strength to be happy for others, even when their happiness comes at a great cost for you.
Ballen went from posting 4 videos a week with no sponsors to one video per 4 weeks with a sponsor crowbarred into the middle of the story. I guess the 100s of thousands of dollar he makes from his millions of subscribers isn’t enough. He has to get that extra sponsor money. He became such a greedy sell out
Also, it wouldn't make sense to know all those details about what Whitney saw and thought that night if she'd died. She wouldn't be around to tell anyone. Even though it was obvious what was gonna happen, it was still a crazy story.
Whitney is now the daughter of two families. I understand people wanting to demonize the trucker for falling asleep. He is solely respondsible for what he did. But I would also encourage people to call their legislatures to encourage truckers to be able to park in all large parking lots when necessary to stop their drives when sleepy. We need truckers and the trucking industry. I believe if this trucker had been encouraged by all of us to park his truck , without citizen ordered police harassment, and get some sleep , instead of trying to make it another two hundred miles to the next truck stop, all of these wonderful people would still be alive. My condolenses to all the families and friends of this accident's victims.
I love the fact that I got my mom to finally listen to you Mr. Ballen! It has been something we can bond over after 29 years. It’s been amazing to have her ask if I haven’t heard or listened to the new story you post and vice verse. Been listening since the begging and it amazing to see how much this channel had grown. You bring families together. Thank you.
R.I.P to Laura, this Is a crazy incident and to anyone who's been killed in an accident,my prayers to anyone injured in an accident, as bad of an accident this was, being someone that has driven these trucks, there is no way to defend falling asleep, but these companies from Amazon, FedEx, UPS, to all the 18 wheeler companies, they push their drivers way too far leading to this horrible shit happening. I've been in several car accidents and thank God everyday.
I thought of the same. I heard “fell asleep behind the wheel” and my first thought was the man was probably overworked. There should be strict laws surrounding the treatment of any worker operating large vehicles and heavy machinery. The shit companies get away with is unreal, and the responsibility always ends up squarely on the individual driving. He’s partially responsible yes, but I’ll bet there’s a lot more context to this horrible event.
The laws are really the reason these things keep happening. Drivers log books are all automated now instead of the driver logging his own time. Sometimes a driver could sit at a yard for 6 hrs waiting to be loaded or off loaded but they are only allowed to be behind the wheel 14 hrs from the start of the job. So even though they sat parked and probably slept for those 6 hrs now they can only drive for 8. And if they can’t sleep during those 8hrs then that means their next 10 hrs of driving will be on 18 hrs with no sleep. And that’s the problem cause they get paid to drive and as long as their drive time is controlled by the DOT so is their sleep schedule.
not true , the fed ex one that crashed here in AZ on I-17 was doing 100 or more down the mesas when he blew a tire , crossed the median, went airborne and spilled his cargo everywhere. adot spend 12 hours loading the packages into another semi trailer . the driver survived i think but shutting down 2 lanes ( one in each direction) for hours cause he wanted to get another run up north to make more money is not being over worked it was being greedy .
My Brothers fiance (Also named Laura) got run over by a big work truck while being on a walk with her baby. Luckily my niece survived because the truck kept pushing the baby cart wheels instead of crushing it and someone noticed it and stopped the truck. She just turned 5.
I remember when this happened. I was devastated for Laura's family. My own daughter was a freshman college student at the time, so I felt their pain deeply. It's good to hear that the two families developed a close connection. But wow.
I’ve hoped you would tell this story forever. I live in Indiana and I remember this like it was yesterday. I can’t begin to imagine going through this. Thank you for telling their story. ❤️
@@markodenbrett4363 don’t give up hope! Mr Ballen won’t let you down. Keep the faith! 😉 On a side note, I would love to visit both Louisiana and Alabama. Someday when I can retire and travel I will see every state at least once I hope. Bucket list! The Deep South being at top of my list.
I recall this story. It so unbelievably tragic for everyone. The awful punch to the gut feeling those parents must have had. To go from being so thankful she was alive to sudden despair realizing she is dead. 😪
There’s a House MD episode that was very similar to this case (it wouldn’t surprise me if it was based on this scenario). I knew what would happen right away… Truly a tragedy. I hope both families have continued to heal and thrive after all these years
I was thinking while listening, “where have I heard this story before?” I was thinking it was House, but I couldn’t picture the episode, I thought was it Chicago Fire/Med? Code Black? Grey’s Anatomy? Some other medical show I’ve watched. Pretty sure it was House
I read this book years ago and still tear up when I hear the story. The book is powerful and I highly encourage everyone to read it. Thanks Mr. Ballen for telling it!!!
My family went through the same thing in 1991, we noticed after two days who we were visiting wasn't my sister. Her organs had already been donated by the other family. Now we have her heart still going thirty years and going with Lisa!!!
I live in Michigan and remember this story. Such a heartbreaking mistake! So glad to know that rules have been changed so hopefully no other family/families will have to endure this kind of mistake. Thank you Mr. Ballen for telling this story. You are my favorite for telling the strange, dark and mysterious! I must say though, I do feel sorry for the like button 🤣🤣🤣
I understand he's not the victim here, but I also sympathize with the truck driver. When you work crazy hours, sleep can really sneak up on you without you noticing until it's too late. The lives he ruined with his mistake must weigh so heavily on his conscience. I hope he can forgive himself.
In other countries, there are strict rules for how long truck drivers can drive in one sitting to avoid horrible accidents like these. Where I live, they are required to take a pause/sleep every 3-4 hours (if I remember correctly). There's a thing in the truck that measures how long the engine is on/how far they drive, so you'd be breaking the law if you don't take your required stops.
Things like that do have an impact on truck drivers. I knew of one who delivered to the place I worked, he hadn't driven in several years because of an accident. A lady pulled out in front of him, and of course he couldn't stop in time, and she was killed. Even though it wasn't his fault, he felt so horrible, he couldn't force himself to get back behind the wheel of another truck for a long time.
Me too, my dad was very overworked (and eventually died of a heart attack as a result) and he often drove to work and back extremely tired. I was always worried he’d get into an accident. Research has shown that driving sleep deprived is almost like driving drunk. Of course the driver should take responsibility for his actions and get at least some prison time but I’m sure he feels insanely guilty and probably had to work long hours that night.
I’m going through this right now with my son. He was a passenger in a vehicle and someone ran the light and hit them. Now my son has brain injury and the injuries are in multiple areas. He still hasn’t woken up it’s been a week. If anyone sees this,can y’all say a prayers for my boy? He is only 24 with his whole life ahead of him.
I am sorry you're going through this. I am absolutely praying for you and your family. God bless you.
Oh my goodness, I am truly sorry. Will definitely keep you and your loved ones on my thoughts!
@@patriciahigh1310 thank you so much. He really needs them. He is such a good boy. No one deserves this. 😪
@@ericathom8973 thank you so much. He is my boy. My first born, such a good kid.. 😪
I'm so so sorry 😞 I can't imagine what you're going through. Sending prayers, love n my thoughts for you & your son. Keep strong my lovely 💕
@MrBallen although there is a lot more to this story, I think you did a good job with it. I am actually Whitney`s Husband. We were dating for about a year at this point. I want to say thank you for touching on the relationship between the two families. The VanRyn family is amazing. Truly incredible, loving people. After they found out about the mix up they didn't flip out and stomp out of the hospital. They stayed by Whitney's side even though they knew it wasnt Laura. They supported her and watched over her until her parents could get there. They showed compassion and grace. Beautiful people. We still talk and see each other to this day. Although the mix up gets alot of attention in this story... never forget the 4 others that died as well : Monica, Brad, Betsy, Laurel. They were all amazing.
Yes, you are absolutely correct. We must not forget about the other 4 souls who lost their lives due to this accident. It makes me tear up thinking about the families who all received that phone call that changed their lives forever. Such a great loss. Lots of love.
I was ok during the story until I got to your comment. It broke me. As a mother I cannot imagine what either family had to endure & honestly I hope I never do. Thank you for sharing some of the blessings that came out of such a tragedy. I’m going to order the book now.
God bless you all ❤❤❤❤
@@lagear2165 her teeth were NEVER messed up! Whitney's were different from Laura's so they appeared to be "messed up". they thought that Whitney was Laura. and bc of the accident the whole jaw/teeth had been shifted ( actually happens quite frequenly in violent accidents). however it WASN'T Laura it WAS Whitney. therefore there was no shifting of the jaw/teeth. smh i'd like to tell you to go back to school for some reading comprehension but there was no reading involved.... so maybe put a finger in one ear while listening so what your listening to stays in there and catches on whatever is rattling around in there, maybe that will help??
This made me cry. The fact that the family stayed by Whitney even though she wasn't theirr daughter is seriously beautiful. I cannot imagine the turmoil that family must've had to endure right at that moment.
I wish you and Whitney all the best and I hope she's full healed now from her accident.
When you specifically mentioned one girl had a closed casket visitation, and then other girl was alive but bandaged head to toe, my mind immediately went to this horrible outcome. How do you even begin to explain this to the families? I can't even begin to fathom how they felt.
Crazzzzzzzzy! Ain't no words to describe this.
I was fearing it already from the 5:19 mark....
Bro im getting pretty sick of youtube mobile showing the top comment when i havent clicked the comments section. Spoiled the video. Again. Great.
@@chumbucketsburner2937 as someone who just watched this video on my phone. You can literally completely ignore the comments.
@@NothingIsWrongToday wow that’s very nice for you , you must have a different operating system or browser, your not the only person who exists , and bro isn’t the only person who finds losers posting a summary annoying..
Aw man imagine thinking your daughter survived just to learn she actually didnt make it and the girl you think is your daughter isnt your child. That would crush me
i know right-- that's absolutely crushing-- like id just die on the spot id spontaneously combust- ok but in all seriousness yea that would be crushing and would be horrible for someone's mental health and would hurt so bad-
Just shows how completely selfless Laura's family is, im pretty astonished
Especially since it sounds like the one girl was buried and the funeral was for wrong girl
@@cheriessoblessedformerlyfear right. Id be shattered.
Absolutely crazy story
I can’t imagine the family who found out that her daughter actually died. Had to be a huge roller coaster of emotions 😢
this comment appeared under the video, I didn't ask to see spoilers. not uour fault but come on TH-cam algo God.
@@CaleCoast just don't read comments before.
@@CaleCoast that is why you don't read the comments BEFORE you watch the video. This is a practice I adhere to.
@@CaleCoast I'm actually glad that @philip tucker said what happen cuz I didn't get it at first. But I understand what ur saying.
@@CaleCoast You didn't ask to see spoilers, but you were reading the comments? What do you expect?
As a paramedic myself, they did their job. People dont understand what 'load and go' means. You see this is a life and death situation, you get that person to the hospital. The hospital has so much more time to properly ID. I wouldnt even call this a screw up by the medics at all. They helped prolong her life.
I agree with that we seen more stuff than you're freshly firefighters and EMT
Yeah it's not the job of the first-responders to ID the victims.
That’s a really great point. The paramedics saved a life. It was much more the hospital that didn’t ID properly, or someone else in this situation.This video should definitely be titled differently.
Agreed, especially because the mistake didn't cause Laura's death.
@@jencita8509not the first time one of his titles don't make sense. I do enjoy his storytelling but there's too much opinion and dare I say embellishments?.
This is the first “strange, dark, and mysterious” story I can recall having foreseen the “twist” coming. These poor families. It’s awe inspiring what they made out of such a tragic event. Thank you for telling their story with such grace and style. You’re the best at that!
I was able to predict what happened because the show "9-1-1" had an episode where a segment was based off this event. Of course, at the time, I didn't know it was inspired by a true event.
Not me, i really did not see this coming! Good for you guys.
@@ReddyReader I knew as soon as I heard they were both blonde.....It was all over the news at the time. The excuse used was they had the same hair as to why no one figured it out.
I thought he was gonna say she was writing in a different language
Any fan of the series "House MD" saw the twist coming.
I've heard this story before, and one detail that was left out, was that "Whitney's" funeral was filmed, so she literally got to watch her own funeral...Everyone that showed up, everything that was said about her.....That must've been profound to see.
That’s crazy to even think about. I wouldn’t want to watch it if it were me. That would give me chills.
@@ericduncan7266 Nah, it'd be really nice to see how much people care about you
@@gaston6800 true
@@gaston6800and what about if people didn't care, how would you feel then?
@@RFC87 That would suck
In 2010 my best friend and I were thrown out of the windshield of my truck and my friend sadly passed away at the scene. The paramedics mixed the two of us up and they told my parents that I was the one who passed away. The paramedics drove my family to the hospital to see a grievance counselor and while they were waiting, a nurse came out and told my parents that I was awake and stable enough for a visit. My parents said “you must have us mixed up, our son didn’t survive” so the nurse came back to me and asked my birthday etc etc and she went back and said “he says he is your son, so you should probably come and see” and of course they then found out that I was the one who survived. Conversely, my buddy’s family then got the news that he was in fact the one who didn’t survive
That's horrible for both families, I'm sorry you lost your buddy, that's traumatic when aren't with them when you lose them, I can't imagine having been WITH any of my deceased friends when it happened...
Thats crazy.
how are these people so irresponsible as to not even check who is who, the fact that this has happened multiple times... they really need to do some basic steps to confirm people's identities
Ouch
I was worried about watching this one. My grandma was the staff member that was lost in this accident. This is something I have had to relive so many times in my life and yet I hadn't seen these pictures since they were on the news 16 years ago. I've never read the book so I've never heard the story like this. You did such a good job, thank you for being a great story teller.
My condolences 🙏
I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you have found a way to heal, and that her memory brings you comfort.
live, laugh, love.
@@ChadAF_YT ??
Thank you for sharing! By sharing that piece of your truth, it makes the “staff member” a real person. She was a mother, a grandmother, and she’s loved and missed! I’m really sorry for your loss!
The moment I heard you mention Laura and Whitney looking very similar and then following it up with the horrible crash, my heart sank. I knew where this story was going.
I feel so bad for the families. What a roller coaster of emotions they all had to endure.😔
Ditto. I totally called it before the punch hit. As a dad myself this is an absolute gut check of a story. Got choked up for sure.
Yep as soon as he mentioned the phone calls it twigged. Horrible in every way
This same thing happened to my dad when he was a teenager. There was a car accident and both he and his friend were greatly injured and had both crushed their faces beyond recognition, In a miracle with the mixup between my dad and his friend. His friend was in much worse shape and had no insurance, but was mistaken for my father and put in life support and got top quality treatment that he wouldnt have gotten without the mistake and my father's insurance. By the time they fixed the mixup they both were stable and lived through.the ordeal. It was a miracle disguised as a mistake. Without the added help my dad's friends very likely would.have passed away.
That is definitely where my suspicion peaked as well the further he got into the story. When he described what the therapist asked to be written on the paper that the person should have known but kept getting it wromg, it sealed it for me that it was the name. I remembered watching an episode of 9-1-1 that had a similar case to this one with two best friends getting misidentified as the main dilemma for the episode.
@@picklepants4726 Pretty fucked up that he would've been allowed to die because of his insurance situation. Definitely something wrong with that system.
Wow this was a heartbreaking story for Laura's family, and all those that died in the accident. I am so happy for Whitney's family though and so happy the families had such a bond over what happened ❤️
Amazing people who love and live, not common
As a recently retired 20 year death investigator this was one of my biggest fears. Misidentifying someone would be absolutely devastating to everyone involved, myself included.
Ballen went from posting 4 videos a week with no sponsors to one video per 4 weeks with a sponsor crowbarred into the middle of the story. I guess the 100s of thousands of dollar he makes from his millions of subscribers isn’t enough. He has to get that extra sponsor money. He became such a greedy sell out
how did you get into that job? what experience?
@@jake-y death investigator is a weird title. If he is telling the truth (it’s the internet so there’s a great chance he’s lying) he either would be a detective (working for police) or work as an investigator or doctor for the medical examiner office (but his official title would never be death investigator lol)
@@smartyjonez5470 Are you seriously pissing, moaning, and crying about excellent free content? Your mommy must pay your house bills still.
Have you ever experienced ghost paranormal experiences??
Whitney's mother was actually a teacher at my school and she told this story to all of her students over the years, it truly is a story that is a miracle while also being a tragedy. It's crazy to hear this being told by someone I watch regularly.
X doubt
@@spoodymans X dislike your comment
How’s it a miracle 5 people died yeah you can say 4 people didn’t die but still wouldn’t call 5 people dying a miracle
@@Maddenmvp_yt i think they meant it was a miracle for Whitney’s family but a tragedy for Laura’s family.
@@spoodymans If the first thing you do when you see someone who have met the people that are mentioned in the video is releasing the "pic or didn't happen" energy, then it would've been a privilege for them to meet those people irl
I was 5 minutes into the video when I realized the story you were telling. I remember when this happened and it was heart wrenching. Thank you for telling the story with respect.
Is it really sunny in Philly?
Yes
Me too. I live in Indy and remember when this happened. It was really sad 😕
I’m a CDL driver from Indiana, and it’s terrible that this happened, but it’s crazy how quickly this stuff happens in the road, always pay attention to your surroundings, and if you’re tired or worried ALWAYS pull over!
Company treating truckers like slaves and giving them shit . Sounds well over worked the ones who should get time are the company bosses. He needed sleep he's human
@@lena-Ramone yes of course but maybe put on the brakes first
@@lena-Ramone he should have rested first
@lena-Ramone theres laws that limit cdl driving time for this very reason. Truck drivers are held to a higher standard than the average joe
I will.never understand why people pull out in front of a big truck more than they would a small vehicle. They don't understand how dangerous it is. I never did that though before driving a big rig. Stop doing that, idiots. These trucks don't stop easily and they weigh 100x your vehicle. It will be like a brick versus an empty pop can colliding at 20mph
Wow, I actually had a “gasp moment” with this story. I can only imagine the incredible shift in emotions the families had when they learned of the mixup.
I saw it coming as soon as he said how similar they looked at the start. There’s a reason why writers give exposition like that.
This is horrible for everyone involved, and while it was of course just a mistake for the driver, it will haunt him for the rest of his life.
These things seem like they'll never happen to you, but we probably come so close to these situations every single day ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Ballen
I feel horrible for the driver, and everyone else involved in it.
Sad story...shit happens, unfortunately.
Boo! 👻 Wasssssssup mr friend?! Ballen fan too....small world, lol. Great narrating on your latest vid, I really enjoyed listening. Keep up the good work!
"Just a mistake"
@@louieoak5425 you've never made a mistake... huh?
@@NoContext83 I guess it’s four o’clock somewhere 👍🍺🍺👍🇺🇸😎
Being a truck driver this story terrified me. Every day the thought of having an accident is on my mind. I know I could never live with myself if this happened to me. My prayers go out to both families
And it never will happen if you drive responsibly and don't push yourself beyond your limits meaning take the proper breaks to get sleep in between and you won't have to ever worry about running some poor family down in a minivan or a Bus full of innocent people
Replace your thought of having accident with following affirmations:
I am Loveful being. I am safe and protected God's powers. I am the most safe driver in the universe. I spread joy and happiness. I am blessed with everything I need.
Om Shanti.
Same here brother I have same thoughts being in this profession.
@@sudhirsingare3753 Thanks Bhai it's a good thought, I will be doing the same from now on, as being in this profession I had similar mentality like the above @Daniel Castillo. That was a wise and caring advice.
Yeah I honestly feel terrible for the truck driver too, he obviously didn’t do it on purpose.
So sad to think of all those young lives lost! I love that the two families have become close. In a way they can now share in the life and events of the one daughter! Bless them all!! 💖
Oh my god, how horrible…! It started with such a tragic accident, and it just got worse and worse… I’m so glad the two families were able to come together and form a healing bond.
And you told the story so well (as usual)! Engaging, but not embellished, all the people and their stories are presented with both respect and gravity. And a lot of us would never hear these people’s stories without MrBallen telling them. Great work.
Does ur lips 👄 hurt
The heartbreak of the shock in learning that your loved one had long been dead, buried, and mourned under a different name,
after an already painful recovery of hoping they will survive when the hope is gone and the spirit has been so mistakenly dishonored.
What a cruelty that Fate had given to Laura.
He really is one of the best storytellers I've ever heard
@@crystal480 i guess complimenting someone who works really hard, who's hard work you benefit from week after week, is outside your emotional range.
We're nice here, so be kind.
@@ellielou52 well said! 🇦🇺👏
As a former trauma nurse for 32 years, I can actually see how this might happen. Just a very, very sad situation.
Thank you for doing a job I never could 💜
I applaud your dedication. Truly. 💯🎯👍🏼✅
Thank you for your lengthy and dedicated service ♥️
Thank you for your service. Hope all is well for you, I’ve never been in that kind of situation but doing healthcare, i only lasted 3 years max because of the toll it took mentally. It really takes a special kind of person to hold down healthcare jobs tbh, again thank you.
Only if EMT was incredibly incompetent. We would get patients in ER with exact names with exact conditions! And even same age! Doesn't that put staff on high alert? When two ppl "look alike" after a car accident and the belongings were strewn it would have made sense to maybe double check that instead of heaping any old bag onto the stretcher of any blonde and saying yeah they go together. Sad.
Wow, they did look so alike. That is wild. How heartbreaking for the family that thought their loved one had survived.
I thought they were VERY DISTINGUISHABLE looking between the two. They're blond, blue eyes, similar body types. That's basically it. Now, with the commotion, dim lighting and dim witted Firemen at the scene, I can understand HOW they COULD make that mistake, ESPECIALLY with the purses. But still. And people's eyes don't change. You can Mummify my teenage daughter till you're out of TP. But I'd know IMMEDIATELY it WASN'T HER. And I sure AF WOULDN'T let nurses (whom AREN'T doctors as NURSE training is nothing and they're NOT that special and they ALL HAVE ATTITUDES. Dental Assistants DON'T. Nurses ARE Doctors' ASSISTANTS and with my experience, I don't allow nurses NEAR me unless they're male. Ever. And it does create a little issue in the E.R. but oh well tubby, this is my life. The amount of FCK UPS I've seen with those GAWD DAMNED IVs is SICKENING. Who puts them in with that HUFFING and PUFFING frustration for NOTHING that they ALWAYS HAVE? Female nurses ESPECIALLY. Usually well over weight. But the job consists of LOTS OF MOVING. I NEVER SEE FAT MALE NURSES. EVER. And OBVIOUSLY OVER WEIGHT PPL aren't ACCUSTOMED TO MOVING ALOT. Hence...) tell me SH*T if I have my OWN intuitions about MY DAUGHTER.
#femalenursessuck
they didnt look alike at all except for the hair and blue eyes and body type lol
@@bluehornet197 yeh everything that matters face is mangled and bruised up so how are they suppose to recognize
@@dgmma992 I think you need to read my comment slowly this time as I never mentioned they look similar when they were mangled
@@JamesHeinrich-vk7vz Why are you screaming.
Stop the gender bullshit, if you've got your certificate you're good.
I'd rather have dim witted firemen than none (but the burden of proof, that they were dim witted is to you).
I'd say you cloud'nt even tell the difference between a male and a female mummie.
Bruh this story was so crazy! Geez how heartbreaking to find out that it’s not your daughter who survived but then the realization that she actually passed…but man I’m glad Whitney had survived and the families stayed in touch ❤
Everyone that had gone to Whitney’s funeral drove down and attended Laura’s funeral. I’m from Gaylord and remember all of this. My kids knew Whitney, her sister and her Mom. As I did as well. Whitney is married and has 2 kids. She has written a book about her experience. They are a very wonderful family and yes, have stayed close to Laura’s family.
I'm from Michigan and I remember this story. I think it was the sister who first realized that it wasn't Laura but I can also understand how desperately the famly wanted to cling to the hope that she was still alive. How surreal it must have been for Whitney's parents to get that second phone call. Goosebumps.
Same, live an hour away from Gaylord so it was big news all around here and I believe you are correct that it was the sister who had said something... So tragic
@Richard Smegma I can't believe they named a place after you, but didn't bother to inform you.
@@LeatherCladVegan i can't belive its not butter
@Richard Smegma I love your avatar ! So hot…
@Richard Smegma it's pronounced gaylurd by locals though.
I had no idea I was a fan of the strange, dark and mysterious until I discovered Mr. Ballen. You were born to tell other people's stories! Thank you so much 🥰
Watching his shorts brought me to his page... Now I can't watch enough of his videos!
Delivered in story format*
Anybody born in the 80s already knows they’re a fan of the S,D,&M
I imagine he's got some stories of his own.
I had neither. Btw now im afraid to go to the toilet at night
I remember hearing about this event and wondering how bad officials screwed up. After looking into the case more, I could see how something like this happened. What a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone.
Still, the mistake should not have happened. I'm glad to hear they changed their procedure for identification, but it could still happen in other states, right? I guess it is up to families to insist on scientific positive identification.
Still, the mistake should not have happened. I'm glad to hear they changed their procedure for identification, but it could still happen in other states, right? I guess it is up to families to insist on scientific positive identification.
It was quite a rollercoaster.
Mr. Ballen is the only one that I actually watch the ads.. hes such a great story teller.. he makes me laugh so much during the ads. Mr. Ballen and Bailey Siran are my absolute favorites....
Plus Kall Me Kris
ffth man ffth
I can imagine that the trauma of burying and then grieving for your daughter would still last even after later finding out she was alive in hospital.
And for the other family, what a terrible shock.
I knew a family where the police came, told Mom and Dad their teen son had been killed in a car accident. Parents were destroyed, 3 hrs later their son walks in the door, confusion, elation, etc turned out it was his cousin his same age thatd been killed so even though their son was alive, their nephew was dead. It was a mess.
I can only imagine the PTSD from that experience for the parents. Omg. Heartbreaking.
My heart aches for both families, but I can't imagine the awful grief Laura's parents felt to think their daughter was alive only to be told she actually had died.
And as if that wasn't horrible enough, she had already been buried. Such a sad situation. 😢
@@polkadots716 but she had a very nice funeral with a lot of people…. Maybe that helped a bit
@@hippo_dame7028 yeah right, in what universe? Sorry your kid died, here’s a flower
@@labradoriteatheart I don't think that you understood @Hippo_Dame's comment. Obviously they want their child back and are grieving. But the fact that she wasn't buried in an unmarked grave or at a funeral that no one attended is better than nothing.
@@hippo_dame7028 IDK, but it seems it would make the tragedy more difficult to accept for the family by not having the opportunity to personally see their loved one and say goodbye one last time.
I can’t even imagine what those two families went through. One family thinking that their daughter is alive and the other thinking that their daughter has passed. Having a funeral for your daughter and then being told weeks later that she is still alive must have been shocking. The other family had to be devastated when they found out that the girl in the hospital wasn’t their daughter. My son was killed in a motorcycle accident in June of 2021. His funeral was with a closed casket also. As much as I wanted to see him I decided it was for the best that I didn’t. The Army National Guard did eventually give me an opportunity to see him but out of respect for my son I decided against it. He had served full time in the military police unit based in Murray, Kentucky for 15 years working towards a full career.
My heart goes out to you.
@@tsgrandma9837 Thank you!
I am so very sorry for your loss. God bless you, your son & your family.
The little jackets for crows had me dead🤣🤣🤣🤣 so funny
I did a Sociology project on this case in my first year of college. When you go deep into the psychology of what each member of both families experienced, it's mind-blowing. It was actually Laura's boyfriend who made the discovery that she couldn't possibly be Laura. The book, Mistaken Identity, is definitely worth the read.
Did you, at all, get to delve into the truck driver and how his family had felt?
I’m sure they must’ve felt some type of way learning what had happened and the guilt that this man must harbor. I’m just curious about that side too is all.
@K.M.V S I’ve just ordered it from Amazon 👍
How and when did her boyfriend find out?
@K.M.V S My book arrived and what a great read it was.
I lost my son 3 years ago. My heart breaks for both of these families... Having spent every day for 3 years wishing he would walk back through my door, I could not imagine the trauma of thinking your child survived only to be told they'd got them mixed up!! I'm sure Laura's family are suffering just as much!! Love & prayers sent to both of them. It's lovely to know they bonded & worked on their story together.
I am so sorry for your loss ❤️✨❤️
I'm so sorry, love. Hugs.
I'm so sorry 😞
I am so so sorry for your loss
I’m so sorry that happened.
I hope you’re as happy as you can be xx
I've become so addicted to the point where it had to be fun little movie night and watch MrBallen content with the fam, love it man! Your story telling is mesmerizing!
This happens more than you would think, happened to my friend in high school both of them passed in a car accident and one of them had a fake ID and it wasn’t his real ID it was another guys that we all used to hang out with. Police called his parents and told them their son was in a fatal car accident and they ran upstairs and their son was sleeping in bed, it didn’t make it as far as this video but wow what a tragedy
As someone who’s lost a child this story has always tugged at my heart. I can’t imagine being called a month after the funeral to be told my child hadn’t been killed in an accident and it was all a big misunderstanding. It’s the dream of every parent that goes thru that! And at the same time, there’s still a family grieving the loss of their daughter. It’s something you just never get over. My heart goes out too both families.❤️
I'm very sorry to hear of your loss, Cherish. I can't imagine such pain x
It is truly heartbreaking. I'm sorry that you lost your child.
My sincere condolences my dear.
I'm so sorry 😔
Thank you all so much! Tomorrow would be his 25th birthday. I miss him so much!😢❤️💔
I'm surprised nobody mentioned why the trucker fell asleep. It's a dangerous job because drivers have to drive unreasonably long hours in order to make a living. So much reform needs to happen surrounding the driving hours of truckers.
I can’t help but feel terrible for him too and I’m sure he is devastated. Truckers are definitely overworked and it’s not right
I agree. I feel awful for him because he was probably just trying to make ends meet. I sincerely doubt the trucking company he worked for faced any repercussions. Insanely sad.
As of several years ago, laws have been passed and now enforced regarding provisions, requirements, limitations, among other things and any CDL carrying motorist is now monitored via a number of methods.. including the truck driver's equivalent to a drunk driving offender's interlock device.
My family is full of truck drivers. They can only be on the road for like 8hrs legally. I don't know the laws in other states.
@@amandajoy2034 It's federal, so all 50 states. They are governed by the USDOT because of interstate travel.
Man..everything about this was just so heart wrenching. All the family’s effected by the loss of loved one’s and that poor truck driver who now has the lives of 5 young peoples on his conscious the rest of his life.
As horrible as it is.... my heart sings for the parents who's daughter literally came back from the dead....
Nah, what Laura's family went through was way worse than just losing a child.
@@dobanator4501they weren't saying it was worse
@@dobanator4501fr bro that shit would hurt
@@TyJayT7666I cannot imagine if a close family member died like that.... I don't think I could handle it. I've lost family.... But not like that.
@@dobanator4501 Amen to that.. I hope they're able to heal.
My heart goes out to all of the parents of the students who were in that crash. The circumstances around the two young women's identities being mistaken are astounding. One detail I wonder about is - knowing how convoluted our medical insurance coverage can be - the legal issues must have been very unique as well. I would love to read the book the families co-authored to find out how this part of it went down. Thank you for this episode Mr Ballen. So much to think about.
Aye, I did medical billing for quite a while and thought about this for a second, but the medical coverage would have been all through the same automobile policy so it was likely easier for them to switch everything rather than if it was going off of two individual Healthcare policies. So horrible what all the families had to go through. Even the family that got their daughter back had already gone through grieving her for quite some time before finding out that she survived and that they hadn't been able to be there when she needed them while recovering.
@@robincharles7057 Thank you for the clarification about the automobile policy covering everything. That would have hopefully made things less complicated for these families, so they could focus on what's important. The connection between the two families must be so great now, because Whitney was cared for so lovingly as a daughter by Laura's family. Laura was grieved as a daughter by Whitney's family.
You really should add *spoiler alert* to the beginning of your comment. Some of us read these during the program... 😐
Yes. its really bizarre how their ids landed next to the other person and they look similar.
@@jennyfitzpatrick8085
>read comments after viewing video
>expect everyone all the time to add spoiler alert to their comments i.e. most comments
One of these is realistic, one of them is not.
I remember this case; it made national news for a day or two. It was so heartbreaking for Laura's family, but a joyous miracle to Whitney's. As the story evolved, I was struck by the kindness and empathy of both families in the way that they handled this very tragic mistake. Laura's family, of course devastated, respectfully allowed Whitney's to rejoice in their good fortune. Whitney's family did not celebrate wildly, and gave Laura's family that compassion, support, and the time to come to grips with the with the loss of Laura. That both families formed a strong bond didn't surprise the people who knew each family as mature, reasonable, and kind folks. May God bless them all! This is by definition a truly bittersweet outcome. 😊😭❤💔🙏🙏
You encapsulated these essential and profound acts of humanity perfectly. Thank you.
@@CameronCajun thank you 😊 All the credit goes to these remarkable people!
THAT was an amazing story! My heart went out to those families and all the jarring trauma they experienced. So crazy!
Thank you carol ann!!!
@@MrBallen ☝🏻😎❤️
Four years for murdering 5 people. How disgusting.
In my book murder is murder no matter what the tool is
As a driver. This has always been one of my biggest fears. I'm proud to be 15 years accident free and free of accidents with injury for my entire career. I can only imagine what he deals with everyday of his life.
EDIT: I read up on it and found the following:
"Spencer, 37, of Canton, Mich., had had five tickets since 1999, as well as a warning letter from the Michigan Secretary of State's Office."
That does better explain his sentencing.
--------------
I'm surprised he was sentenced that harshly. Was he breaking any rules, being negligent, had he been driving too long, dozing off beforehand, or on substances? It seems like manslaughter normally comes after someone ignores safety or common sense and accidentally kills others because of that negligent behavior. This seems like a complete accident, unless he was breaking rules or ignoring safety.
Accidentally killing five people and having to live with that seems like punishment enough (or maybe he loses his license altogether or is put on house arrest or probation). Four years in prison seems excessive. I do feel for him in addition to all the families.
@@jwrigley47 4 years isn't harsh, that's less than a year for every young life he took.
It wasn't an accident either, driving tired is as bad as driving drunk.
@@jwrigley47 four years.... that's all?!
@@jwrigley47 when people die as a direct cause of someone else, there has to be punishment. I highly doubt the family of those 5 that died thought that 4 years in prison was a fair trade. Not that a long sentence would’ve made them feel any better. I was surprised it wasn’t MORe years.
He could've been more responsible, he knew he was tired, he could've pulled off and napped.
Wow. I can't imagine the emotional roller-coaster these families experienced... It's great to see that they bonded, and remained close throughout this ordeal. Through such a traumatic journey, I hope they were able to heal and make peace with the neglectful actions of the truck driver. ❤️
He fell asleep after the trucking company he worked for pulled his allotted rests, they basically wanted him to deliver and return without any breaks at all. Like anyone, he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed. Trucking companies will do stupid stuff like this all the time when it comes to their regulations, they will bend the laws to their advantage and when something goes wrong they blame the employee for not following procedure. Happens all the time. I can't say for sure that's exactly what happened but I remember him or his lawyer mentioning it and it sounded all too familiar at the time.
@@HardWhereHero Pretty much what I thought, you hear those stories quite often where the companies just treta their drivers like that and basically expect them to go far above their (probably everones) limit, which unavoidably leads to accidents. Just too bad there is next ti no accountability on their part.
More like the greed of the company he drove for pressured him into the circumstances that led to this tragedy. I cant imagine what it's like having to live with what the driver does weighing on his conscience especially while the greedy employer walks around acting as though they are completely innocent. We have all fallen asleep at inappropriate times (school, church, during sex, etc) and in this case it happened to be in a loaded truck while going down the highway. And in this case a simple human thing led to many human lives being devastated.
@@Avanger1304 treat everyone
I have heard about this story before! Such a tragedy for both families! Imagine burying your child and mourning like they were to find out she’s alive. And the other family had thought their daughter had survived only to find out she didn’t had to be devastating! I feel so bad for the families, both of them! Now I’m going to have to read the book! Thanks for covering this one Mr. Ballen!
Funny enough, this story was actually used as a plot in an episode of House.
Thanks for ruining it for me.
Spoiler alert 😳
@@darkerdaemon7794 Then don't read the comments before the video is over. Duh
@@dontworryaboutit4255 this is the top comment. It shows onscreen on mobile without clicking comments.
As a father to an amazing little girl, I can honestly say some of these stories scare me so much as my daughter is my life. But at the same time these videos are great. Great content mate! My condolences to the families. I can’t imagine losing my child, and I’m so sorry you lost yours.
I couldn’t even fathom having to go through this as a parent. Devastating all the way around.
As a former truck driver I hate it when things like this happen. Just about everyone knows truck drivers are regulated by the DOT to keep them from being up too long and falling asleep at the wheel like in this story. Truck drivers know how easy it is to forge a log book and make oneself look legal when they’re not. I always hate it when drivers blame their company for “pushing” them because it’s not the trucking companies that cause it. It’s the companies that we haul for. They don’t care if they keep you there all day or night to get you loaded or unloaded. I have delivered at a company that fined or took away money from the fee that they paid my company for hauling the load if I was late by more than 20 minutes on my scheduled delivery time. Then I went to the other side of the building to pick up a load from the same company and I sat there 9 1/2 hours waiting to get loaded. Truck drivers are not the greatest people ever but 99% are honest hardworking people just trying to support their families.
My ex husband forged his log books for almost each load Driving when he should've had down time. Hence most trucking companies have switched to electronic log books
I used electronic logs and they would end up forcing me to take my sleep break during the day after a full shift, so I don't get sleep, then finally begin a 14 hour shift driving at night right when I am about to get sleepy. The electronic logs make it hard to drive when you're feeling up to driving.
Thank you! You truckers keep this Country moving.
The trucking companies are the ones who get hit with penalties for breaking DoT regulations, though. If the customer wants something Wednesday, and threatens to pay less if it's delivered Thursday, someone at the trucking company makes the decision to not say, "Okay, then, how about we fire you as a customer and work for customers who understand how the world works? Good luck finding a shady company to make your deliveries."
My husband worked for a trucking company who tried to pull that crap on him some years back, and he quit and moved to a different company. That first company is no longer in operation due to so many violations and lawsuits, as well as not being able to hire anyone who wasn't new or desperate (and therefore more likely to be pushed into violations).
Logbooks can also have the opposite effect of what they're supposed to do too though. I've been out of hours woken up 5 hours before I could kick off again and been unable to go back to sleep before my departure time. Transporting livestock so I never had the luxury of being able to pull over for extended periods of time back then so a quick 15-30 minute powernap was sometimes the best I could get.
I remember seeing about this on TV several years back. I feel for both families, but I’m impressed at how gracefully they both handled the situation. I believe that Whitney started telling Laura’s parents that they weren’t her family, which they kind of looked at as a result of brain damage. After some time, she was able to tell them that her name was Whitney, and that was when the pieces started to fall into place.
Love & light to you & your son 🙏🕊️
Please pray for this man and all truck drivers! Imagine having to live with this! I was hit and dragged by a dump truck at 15. I never blamed the guy. He couldn't live with himself and the stress caused him to have a heart attack. I truly wished I could have seen him as he wanted but at 15 I couldn't. I was in too much pain. I think he's probably dead now as I'm 60 but hope he found peace!
What a dear heart you are. Bless your kind soul.
Lucky you’re alive…
I don't even know how to respond to this. ..your level of sympathy and forgiveness is ...heroic. God bless you
I agree, truly terrible accident for him too, not only 4 years in prison but he will live with a guilt for the rest of his life. In many countries truck drivers sometimes have to drive for 10-14 hours to make it on time, no wonder he fell asleep, he was just doing his job.
@@Elldar111 I don’t feel sorry for him he fell asleep behind the wheel if you are feeling tired you need to pull over and go to sleep not keep driving it totally is his fault and he should have gotten more time
"Whitneys gaze would move from her reflection, up to the clock on the wall and she would see she was running late" Honestly its this type of detail oriented narrating that makes Mr. Ballen next level. Homie literally paints a picture in your mind with his words.
Detail adds nothing to the story and just drags it out. First vid and it's already unbearable how he adds 5 hours of useless info
@@Wheatybic nah I think ur in the minority there bud. His ability to add vivid detail is what separates him from everyone else on TH-cam with the same content.
@@Wheatybic Do you know the meaning of storytelling , buddy?
Yeah, Im not watching this directly, but just listening to it in the background. This really helps me get whats going on without pictures. That quote in particular really shook me up! i thought something else was gonna happen
@@evanferree True.
I always think about how no matter how careful you live your life, it can always dramatically change for the worse or even end simply by being at the wrong place, at the the wrong time.
This is so true. This happened to a college mate who had everything so perfect until he accidentally hit and killed someone
this is true for me the opposite way. I should have died many times and know people who shouldn’t have
I had no idea where this story was going until he mentioned the light, then I remember hearing about this. I can’t imagine the emotional turmoil those families went through. Heart wrenching.
if anything strange dark or mysterious ever happens to me, I want Mr Ballen to tell my story. No one talks about the victims in these stories better than he does, so kind, so respectful! Never stop ♥️
“…the sheer volume of cockroaches crawling out of her mouth shocked and stunned onlookers, buuuuuuut, one of the onlookers was a entomologist and he determined this cockroach duvet, this mass exodus of shiny carapaces was because there wasn’t enough room in her body for these voracious creatures AND their millions of eggs…”
Oh my God I love this, what a brilliant idea 😀 If I ever read of anything happening to you I'll be sure to send your story to Mr Ballen to cover and in saying that I hope I never hear of your name again and I mean that in the nicest possible way haha 🤣🤣
Seriously!
Mr. Ballen is a good family man & he cares, thus the way he tells the stories.🤙🏽🕊🌻
John, I was buried alive head down up to one ankle above the surface in a landslide and survived, with injuries. Conscious under the dirt and rock the entire terrifying time. The experience underground when you’re suffocating to death and crushed is right out of a horror script. It permanently changed my head and heart space.. BBC London contacted me for a survivor series and I know for a fact you’d do the story absolutely proud. I could send you their segment link privately, and write the base content for you. Even the emergency personnel couldn’t understand why I wasn’t deceased. It’s not dark enough, even though what goes through your mind and soul is the stuff of nightmares. But it is textbook mysterious, there are weird details the authorities went back to try and answer later. You periodically cover survivor stories and I’d be honoured to send you all media links and newspaper clippings privately. I had to shake down the media, they got it wrong and said I was digging for diamonds. That made my life hell for months, I’d be recognized in public as the “Dirt Woman” with my shoulder sling and cornered to talk about it. Sometimes I’d agree, most times I politely begged off. I’m a writer, if you’re going to cover my accident, do the damn job correctly! I corrected their errors in the public. Other than media seeking me out, I’ve never reached out other than to correct inaccuracies. I’m a communications specialist and just wanted it to silently go away. I respect your communicative skill set so much, it would be an honour to share this through your narrative expertise. As a survivor, I cringe every time I hear about a burial death, including these coffin stories, because the experience is as isolating as it gets. The only other hell I can imagine is being jettisoned out into space after a cable snap. I love your work and I know you’re deluged with story prospects. Thanks for your time.
This one gave me chills in a different way than your videos normally do. I stopped to help a wreck on the interstate almost 5 years ago. Me and another person were both ran over by an 18 wheeler. I saw it coming but could not get out of the way in time. My first solid memory came 3 and a half weeks later. I was in the hospital for a month and a half. I broke every bone in my body except my right arm. Internal bleeding, a TBI, multiple lacerations, and my entire left foot was degloved (all the skin came off). I have made a full recovery and I’m so thankful every day to still be alive. Thank you for what you do MrBallen.
So thankful you recovered! At least physically, I’m sure it will take much time for the mental scars to soften. Thank you for stopping to help another person in their time of need!
Did the other individual who stopped with you survive?
I’m praying for your continued recovery ❤️🩹
This story is an emotional roller coaster, I feel extremely happy for the family of Whitney and extremely sad for the family of Laura.
There is literally no other creator who makes sponsored ads as good as him
How about when you get a Mr. Ballen Ad in a Mr. Ballen video. Bonus Ballen inception
Kall me Kris is pretty good too
internet historian is so good with them too
ffth
Harry Mac does it best
This is the first video on TH-cam that made my jaw drop. That mix up was crazy.
Can you imagine what the parents went through? The sheer joy at finding out the daughter you thought you had buried was still alive, vs the absolute devastation of finding out the daughter you thought has survived this horrible tragedy had in fact been buried days ago.
At least it has a sorta happy ending...the families bonded and new connections were made, laws were inacted...
Spoiler alert*
I know right??? Fr i almost cried thinking about it
I feel so sorry for Laura's family
The minute you started the story I already knew what this was about! My mom was at the same hospital during the same time frame of the accident. I remember college kids in circles praying. At the time I didn't know the severity of the situation. I read the book when it came out. What both families had to go through is so heartbreaking 💔.
That brought tears to my eyes.
Btw, a lot of us miss your cryptid and paranormal stories. Really wish you would more. I love hearing about Things That Go Bump in the Night!
Yes!! I miss the spookies!
Yes!!! Those are the best!
Same here! That’s what made me interested in him so much. I’ve binged watch about every episode. More creepy stories please @mrballen
I admit, it’d be cool to hear another cool story where practically the only explanation is “something paranormal happened.”
Although I’m 90% sure that he mainly does that during October, right?
Me too I been waiting for these!!!!
What a miracle that she was able to remember her name! I can't imagine the horror of both families, the ones who actually lost their daughter, and the ones who buried the wrong daughter.
As soon as he mentioned that they were incredibly similar followed by the accident I KNEW they had the wrong person. That had to be so incredibly difficult to go through and it's so tragic.
I love that he includes those small details because it gives you a chance to piece it together before he states it and it's very rewarding when he confirms what happened.
Yeah, whenever he mentions small details, it always becomes really important in the end. If he mentions a name in his story for a person that seems irrelevant, they either become a victim or a killer.
For example he said a story before where a girl was strangled to death and he showed a photo of the girl at the start of the vid with a friend who was named who didn't seem to have any importance in the story, only for the named friend to be the killer.
Yep
HER WIFU.
I actually remember when it happened, so I knew the story, but I love hearing Mr. Ballen tell it.
I went to school with Whitney! She was, and I guarantee still is, one of the most generous and kind people I have ever met in my life. God bless her and her family 🙏 ♥
Nothing better then waking up to see MrBallen posted! Love your work man!
Heck! I have been awake waiting for him to post! Lol
Wait until you wake up to a woman touching you in places you've never been touched. Oh man, you virgins don't know what you're missing 😂
@dylan ackermann your so smart and funny and handsome!
My heart broke for these families. To find out that your daughter had not survived she'd actually died and that another family had a whole funeral and buried your daughter. Damn my heart broke for that family.
My heart goes with the driver - he was shocked to find out he accidentally killed some ppl, and jail time too? 4 years, that's not ok
@@ayf_ Honestly, I feel terrible for all involved, right down to the EMS. God awful mistakes were made - and God awful consequences were had.
@@ayf_ Yeah, and truckers work in a crazy industry where they call their supervisor and ask to pull over because they're a danger to be on the road, and they're told to stay on schedule. I wonder how many close calls there were before he finally just couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Just a tragedy. Jail isn't going to do anything but ruin his life going forward. That doesn't help anyone involved.
@@cheepymcpeepy I agree it was such an unfortunate tragic terrible accident.
@@ayf_ I feel for the driver too. But consequences need to be in place. If you're so tired that your starting to fall alseep you need to know to pull over rather than risk 4 years in jail.
This has to be the most insane one I’ve heard. I can’t imagine being the parents of Laura. 💔 What an awful rollercoaster.
Laura
Laura Croft? 💀 Sorry not funny ik
Elena I pray your son will be ok!! Thanks MrBallen for your awesome story,and giving the victims closer!! Keep up your wonderful stories!!❤❤❤
Thank you for talking about this story. The amount of people that I know who don’t know the story behind the memorial chapel becomes bigger and bigger every year. As time passes and people who knew those students graduate and leave, the significance of the chapel can become lost. As a current Taylor student I know that it took me a long time to find out that the prayer chapel was a memorial. Thank you for reminding us of the significance.
@@lorettamcgee969 What's so funny? I don't see anything funny about her comment.
@@SynestriaVI same, I don't understand what's so funny. Lorettas ignorance I guess would be the funny part here.
I don't understand...why doesn't the university make it obvious that the prayer chapel is a memorial? Are the students' pictures and names not displayed somewhere? It seems to me that if the knowledge of this event and its tie to the chapel is fading, then the university is to blame for this. Perhaps they should be approached and told that it needs to be made more obvious.
@@sgtsilk18 It is very possible that Loretta's comment was meant for Mr. Ballen, and not for the comment it appeared under. I have seen and even experienced a couple of time where comments get posted in the wrong place.
@@lorettamcgee969 👈 next mass shooter.
Mr. Ballen, please don't ever stop creating content. I literally consume your videos on a daily basis, and I genuinely love how amazing your stories are. Keep up the incredible work brother!
I'm on my 3rd round of watching allllll of his videos. Plus his podcast is awesome too! 🙌
I ran out of videos :/
SAME. I work overnights at an animal hospital and I play his scariest videos when I’m alone in reception
@@chunkson3899 I had the same issue! Now I re watch all of them in hopes of more!
@@Rose-bi2rg the BEST time to watch them! I like them right before bed. So relaxing. ❤️
I don't have many joys in life but this is definitely one of them, keep up the good work Mrballen
Thank you Matthew!
@@MrBallen no problem, enjoy your weekend ✌️
Matthew, find some joys in life! :)
Just like me, Matthew
@@MrBallen Have you ever retold the Incident at The Land Between Lakes Incident where a family was killed while they were just starting to set up their camp site, but a young boy survived the attack by hiding under their RV? Perhaps research The Cherokee Little People are Real too. We so love the way you tell these accounts. Thank you so much! Walk in beauty dear 💖
Crazy! Tragic with a phenomenal twist that is sure to shock!
I've heard this story before but Mr. Ballen's version is much more comprehensive. I cannot imagine what the families went through especially when they realized the mistake the first responders had made. I'm glad both families were able to get together and deal with the mistake. And best of all become friends.
Is it? I still have no idea if the guy was drunk or what caused him to lose control, what happened to the rest of the passengers, etc. But somehow I know the inner thoughts of a woman as she was trying to decide what to wear lol I have questions! Still very enjoyable 😉
@@Somegirl811 didn’t he say in the video the trucker fell asleep?
@@Somegirl811 then you must not have been paying attention...
This has to be one of the most bittersweet stories I've heard. So incredibly awful for one family to find out their daughter is dead, and already been buried in another state. But so happy for the other family to find out their daughter is actually alive.
It’s messed up that Whitney took someone’s ID, really manipulative
Thank you for keeping me sane while I do my delivery job! So many of your stories have encouraged me to look into them deeper and you are always so respectful to the victims. You have also really helped me cope with my chronic illness so sending love from Brisbane Australia 🇦🇺
This is so heartbreaking. On one hand, it's almost beautiful how everything turned out, but it's still completely devastating.
Also, as someone who has been hit head-on by an 18-wheeler, this was really hard to hear 💔
My heart breaks for both families. As a funeral director I see and feel families trauma every day and this would be absolutely heart wrenching. I'm glad the families had each other at the end of the day. It doesn't replace their lost daughter but it does help when there is someone to help share the burden or early unexpected loss.
Incredible story. I figured it out as you were talking about her writing the wrong thing, and I realized it was the wrong name. The horror of what that meant was shocking to me, and I felt heartbroken for Laura’s parents. I’m glad the families were able to bond over the terrible situation.
I kinda figured it out when he said they looked alike and then they had the accident and that one survived. I was like ahh shit its gonna be the wrong child
@@CC-1138Bacara yeah that's when it clicked for me. Because he emphasied how similar they look
I realized it kinda straight away. I remember watching a House MD episode back in the day where two girls looked alike where 1 died and q survived with severe injuries and they mixed them up at the hospital giving the families the wrong news.
cool
Rad
My friend was part of the staff, and a survivor that was in the wreck. I will definitely make sure she watches this. Maybe she would be so kind as to give some perspective on what she went through during this tragedy.
I personally would love to hear her input. Hope she is well!
I’m sending prayers for your son and family. I hope he has a full recovery.
I admire the Van Rin family. It would be so easy to fall into resentment when you have the hope that your daughter survived taken away. It takes a lot of strength to be happy for others, even when their happiness comes at a great cost for you.
yeah I agree this is what I was thinking
Oh man that is messed up. I'm happy to hear the families were able to form a bond and share their experience in a book. Bess them.
Ballen went from posting 4 videos a week with no sponsors to one video per 4 weeks with a sponsor crowbarred into the middle of the story. I guess the 100s of thousands of dollar he makes from his millions of subscribers isn’t enough. He has to get that extra sponsor money. He became such a greedy sell out
As soon as you mentioned how similar they looked, I had a feeling they were going to get their identities mixed up. This was so heartbreaking.
I thought the same thing. reminds me of an episode of House I saw years back.
Also, it wouldn't make sense to know all those details about what Whitney saw and thought that night if she'd died. She wouldn't be around to tell anyone. Even though it was obvious what was gonna happen, it was still a crazy story.
4 years for killing 5 people is disgusting
Whitney is now the daughter of two families.
I understand people wanting to demonize the trucker for falling asleep.
He is solely respondsible for what he did.
But I would also encourage people to call their legislatures to encourage truckers to be able to park in all large parking lots when necessary to stop their drives when sleepy.
We need truckers and the trucking industry.
I believe if this trucker had been encouraged by all of us to park his truck , without citizen ordered police harassment, and get some sleep , instead of trying to make it another two hundred miles to the next truck stop, all of these wonderful people would still be alive.
My condolenses to all the families and friends of this accident's victims.
Great point
Yea, this case is horrible for everyone involved. No one goes to work and hopes their basic body functions are the cause for 6 deaths.
he only got 4 years for ending 5 lives... those 5 people probably would have lived a combined 300+ more years
@@joegroves4325 why did he fall asleep?
@@joegroves4325 he didn't kill nor do something intentional to kill those loves...
I love the fact that I got my mom to finally listen to you Mr. Ballen! It has been something we can bond over after 29 years. It’s been amazing to have her ask if I haven’t heard or listened to the new story you post and vice verse. Been listening since the begging and it amazing to see how much this channel had grown. You bring families together. Thank you.
Have you considered smoking pcp or meth with your mom?
ME TOO!!! it’s great 💗
R.I.P to Laura, this Is a crazy incident and to anyone who's been killed in an accident,my prayers to anyone injured in an accident, as bad of an accident this was, being someone that has driven these trucks, there is no way to defend falling asleep, but these companies from Amazon, FedEx, UPS, to all the 18 wheeler companies, they push their drivers way too far leading to this horrible shit happening. I've been in several car accidents and thank God everyday.
I thought of the same. I heard “fell asleep behind the wheel” and my first thought was the man was probably overworked. There should be strict laws surrounding the treatment of any worker operating large vehicles and heavy machinery. The shit companies get away with is unreal, and the responsibility always ends up squarely on the individual driving. He’s partially responsible yes, but I’ll bet there’s a lot more context to this horrible event.
The laws are really the reason these things keep happening. Drivers log books are all automated now instead of the driver logging his own time. Sometimes a driver could sit at a yard for 6 hrs waiting to be loaded or off loaded but they are only allowed to be behind the wheel 14 hrs from the start of the job. So even though they sat parked and probably slept for those 6 hrs now they can only drive for 8. And if they can’t sleep during those 8hrs then that means their next 10 hrs of driving will be on 18 hrs with no sleep. And that’s the problem cause they get paid to drive and as long as their drive time is controlled by the DOT so is their sleep schedule.
not true , the fed ex one that crashed here in AZ on I-17 was doing 100 or more down the mesas when he blew a tire , crossed the median, went airborne and spilled his cargo everywhere. adot spend 12 hours loading the packages into another semi trailer . the driver survived i think but shutting down 2 lanes ( one in each direction) for hours cause he wanted to get another run up north to make more money is not being over worked it was being greedy .
@@peterf.229 No working class person is being greedy in needing money to afford to live these days.
My Brothers fiance (Also named Laura) got run over by a big work truck while being on a walk with her baby. Luckily my niece survived because the truck kept pushing the baby cart wheels instead of crushing it and someone noticed it and stopped the truck. She just turned 5.
I literally, am sick to my stomach. And I’m 3/4 into the story, and I fear I know how it ends… every parents nightmare 🥺…
I pray for ALL involved 🙏❤
I remember when this happened. I was devastated for Laura's family. My own daughter was a freshman college student at the time, so I felt their pain deeply. It's good to hear that the two families developed a close connection. But wow.
I’ve hoped you would tell this story forever. I live in Indiana and I remember this like it was yesterday. I can’t begin to imagine going through this. Thank you for telling their story. ❤️
This happened in northern Indiana. The girls were both from Michigan going to school in Indiana
@@kellymaddox1829 they are just happy ALABAMA WAS mentioned if was just in the plug for an ad
@@markodenbrett4363 ahhh I see. My bad! Roll tide!
@@kellymaddox1829 one day poor Louisiana where I live might get its recognition, even if it is just in a side note
@@markodenbrett4363 don’t give up hope! Mr Ballen won’t let you down. Keep the faith! 😉 On a side note, I would love to visit both Louisiana and Alabama. Someday when I can retire and travel I will see every state at least once I hope. Bucket list! The Deep South being at top of my list.
I recall this story. It so unbelievably tragic for everyone. The awful punch to the gut feeling those parents must have had. To go from being so thankful she was alive to sudden despair realizing she is dead. 😪
And knowing a funeral was already held for your daughter.... unbelievable 😭
Absolutely. One family's despair turned to incredible joy while another's thankfulness turned to unspeakable sorrow.
There’s a House MD episode that was very similar to this case (it wouldn’t surprise me if it was based on this scenario). I knew what would happen right away… Truly a tragedy. I hope both families have continued to heal and thrive after all these years
I was thinking while listening, “where have I heard this story before?” I was thinking it was House, but I couldn’t picture the episode, I thought was it Chicago Fire/Med? Code Black? Grey’s Anatomy? Some other medical show I’ve watched.
Pretty sure it was House
Thank you... I was wracking my brain for where I had heard this type of thing before...
I made almost this identical comment just now haha.
Ya that was a sad episode
I remember that episode.
I read this book years ago and still tear up when I hear the story. The book is powerful and I highly encourage everyone to read it. Thanks Mr. Ballen for telling it!!!
My family went through the same thing in 1991, we noticed after two days who we were visiting wasn't my sister. Her organs had already been donated by the other family. Now we have her heart still going thirty years and going with Lisa!!!
I live in Michigan and remember this story. Such a heartbreaking mistake! So glad to know that rules have been changed so hopefully no other family/families will have to endure this kind of mistake. Thank you Mr. Ballen for telling this story. You are my favorite for telling the strange, dark and mysterious! I must say though, I do feel sorry for the like button 🤣🤣🤣
I live in Michigan as well. For 51 yrs and I don’t remember this. First time Ballen made me cry though.
Also in Michigan and remember this story. I’m glad the families found comfort in each other. What a devastating accident.
I understand he's not the victim here, but I also sympathize with the truck driver. When you work crazy hours, sleep can really sneak up on you without you noticing until it's too late. The lives he ruined with his mistake must weigh so heavily on his conscience. I hope he can forgive himself.
In other countries, there are strict rules for how long truck drivers can drive in one sitting to avoid horrible accidents like these. Where I live, they are required to take a pause/sleep every 3-4 hours (if I remember correctly). There's a thing in the truck that measures how long the engine is on/how far they drive, so you'd be breaking the law if you don't take your required stops.
Things like that do have an impact on truck drivers. I knew of one who delivered to the place I worked, he hadn't driven in several years because of an accident. A lady pulled out in front of him, and of course he couldn't stop in time, and she was killed. Even though it wasn't his fault, he felt so horrible, he couldn't force himself to get back behind the wheel of another truck for a long time.
I agree 💯 he wasn't drunk or high or on his phone, he was just doing his overworked crazy hours & deadline's job!!!!
Me too, my dad was very overworked (and eventually died of a heart attack as a result) and he often drove to work and back extremely tired. I was always worried he’d get into an accident. Research has shown that driving sleep deprived is almost like driving drunk.
Of course the driver should take responsibility for his actions and get at least some prison time but I’m sure he feels insanely guilty and probably had to work long hours that night.
@@amalielkI’m pretty sure there are rules for that in America also, or that you have to take a certain number of breaks.