A family continues to be in shock after hearing that a loved one died in an accident and then finding out that it wasn’t the case.
Sheila Nagengast was informed by authorities that her sister, Denise Owen, 44, had died on Tuesday, October 31, after being struck by a car on Staten Island, according to WABC-TV.
“I’m sorry to tell you, but your sister was killed in a car accident,” Nagengast continued, adding that her sister had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had occasionally been homeless.
According to a New York Police Department official who was interviewed by PEOPLE, “during the course of our initial investigation, the NYPD misidentified the victim of a fatal vehicle collision.”
As word got out, Nagengast told WABC-TV that friends and relatives also learned about the tragedy.
Owen was Alive
After then, Nagengast claimed that her other sister called to inform her that Owen was still alive when she was meeting with a lawyer.
“My sister Denise is standing right in front of my (other) sister when she FaceTimed me. Nagengast declared, “Alive and well.” Jonathan D’Agostino, a personal injury lawyer, tells PEOPLE that the family “would have been spared the infliction of emotional distress” if “police had been more diligent in following standard protocol in this matter.”
The “actual victim of this accident” is now under his care, D’Agostino continues, although he is not allowed to go into any detail.
According to a police statement that PEOPLE was able to get, “upon further investigation, a proper identification and subsequent family notification was made.”
They said, “We apologize for the unfortunate grief we may have caused.”