PHOENIX (AP) — The families of a woman who died in an Arizona traffic crash and another who suffered severe injuries have learned they've been mourning the wrong woman because of a mix-up by authorities.
All last week, friends stood vigil at a Phoenix hospital after authorities told them 21-year-old Marlena Cantu was in critical condition. And they mourned 19-year-old Abby Guerra, who they thought had died in the same wreck last Sunday.
Teammates from Guerra's University of Evansville soccer team in Indiana were expected to fly to Phoenix for a Monday funeral.
But on Saturday, family and friends were shocked to learn it was actually Cantu who died and Guerra who was in the hospital with severe head trauma.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a spokesman won't be available to discuss the mistake until Monday. Cantu friend Colleen Donovan says dental records were used to correctly identify the women.
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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com
