A family in Staten Island, New York, went through a whirlwind of emotions after being mistakenly told by police that their loved one had died in a car crash.

The day after a fatal crash involving a pedestrian on Oct. 30, police told Sheila Nagengast of Staten Island that her sister, Denise Owens, 44, had been killed, according to Nagengast’s attorney, Glen Devora.

Devora said the family was “devastated” by the news and learned 36 hours later that the person killed in the crash was not Owens but another woman.

“They had to inform other family members, including their children, about what had happened. They even went so far as to start planning funeral arrangements, discussing whether or not to perform an autopsy, decisions you would make when discussing the death of a loved one,” Devora said.

Police say 37-year-old Justine Perez of Staten Island died in the crash.

On Wednesday, police acknowledged the mistake.

“During our initial investigation, the NYPD misidentified the victim of a fatal vehicle collision,” police said in a statement. he said. “Following further investigation, appropriate identification was made and the family was subsequently notified. We apologize for the unfortunate distress we have caused.”

Police said in a separate statement that the crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Staten Island intersection of Hyland Boulevard and New Dorp Lane. Police mistakenly identified the victim as a 44-year-old woman.

Police say an 18-year-old man driving a Nissan Maxima hit the pedestrian. The statement stated that the driver remained at the scene and no arrests were made, but the investigation continues.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead on the north campus of Staten Island University Hospital, police said.

Police did not state in their statements how the mistake occurred.

Devora said the NYPD “did not fully explain how the mix-up happened.” “They didn’t fully explain why they notified the first family of the mistake,” he said, adding that the two families were “in turmoil” because of the fatal crash and how the police responded.

Devora said she is also representing the Perez family, who are “in the process of planning a funeral.”

Devora said Owens “was trying to piece together how the mistake was made because he wasn’t walking in that area (at the time of the collision). He had no knowledge of the incident.”