A South Yorkshire family endured a three-week nightmare after being mistakenly informed their teenage son had died in a road collision, only to discover he was alive and fighting for his life in hospital.
The Collision and the Catastrophic Error
On December 13, at around 3am, a silver Toyota Corolla left the carriageway in a serious incident. South Yorkshire Police attended the scene and subsequently informed the family of 17-year-old Trevor Wynn that he had died in the crash. The driver, 17-year-old Summer Louise Scott, was also confirmed to have died.
Police told the family that another boy, Joshua Johnson, was fighting for his life in hospital. However, this information was tragically reversed. Joshua had in fact died, and Trevor was the survivor in a critical condition. The devastating error meant two families were given incorrect information about their loved ones.
A Christmas in Mourning and a Miraculous Awakening
Trevor Wynn's family, believing him to be dead, spent the Christmas period planning his funeral, which was scheduled to take place on a Friday in January. Meanwhile, Trevor lay in a coma in hospital for 22 days.
The horrifying truth only emerged when Trevor finally regained consciousness. He woke from the coma and was able to tell medical staff his name and date of birth, triggering immediate alerts and revealing the police force's terrible mistake. His family's planned funeral was halted just in time.
Police Referral and Ongoing Investigations
South Yorkshire Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the incident. Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane stated that "this has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone" involved.
The force revealed that new information came to light on a Sunday, prompting further formal identification processes, including forensic testing, which ultimately uncovered the mix-up. It is believed Joshua Johnson's funeral had been planned for the previous Friday.
In connection with the original collision, an 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and a 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Both individuals remain on bail as enquiries continue.
The case has raised serious questions about identification protocols following major incidents and the profound trauma inflicted on the affected families due to the error.
