Published Tuesday, June 11, 2002
GROVE CITY, HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP
Motorist reported dead by mistakeA Grove City man who police said died after a crash in Hempfield Township over the weekend was in critical condition this morning at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Timothy Whetzel, 20, of 77 Blom Road was severely hurt in a two-car crash Saturday morning at Mercer and Wasser Bridge roads.
On Monday morning, a Hempfield Township police spokeswoman reported that Whetzel had been pronounced dead Saturday at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he was flown after the crash. The Herald published a story on the allegedly fatal crash in Monday's edition.
Family members of Whetzel, however, called The Herald to indicate that the police report and subsequent story were erroneous.
"We take full blame," Hempfield Township Chief of Police Bryan Arthur said this morning of the misinformation.
"One of our officers received the information from a medical source and did not follow up on it. He considered the source reliable," Arthur said.
Arthur said the officer apparently had been told by the source that Whetzel had died en route to Mercy Hospital.