A catastrophic police blunder left two families grieving for the wrong teenagers for more than three weeks after a fatal car crash in South Yorkshire.
The fatal crash and initial error
South Yorkshire Police stated that 17-year-old Trevor Wynn, known as TJ, had died following a collision in Rotherham in the early hours of December 13. The force informed his devastated parents from Worksop, Nottingham, who immediately began to mourn their son and make funeral arrangements.
However, this information was tragically incorrect. The teenager who had actually lost his life in the crash was 18-year-old Joshua Johnson. A 17-year-old girl, who was driving the vehicle, also died. Trevor was alive, but receiving treatment in hospital under sedation with severe injuries.
Three weeks of agonising confusion
For 22 agonising days, the mistake remained undiscovered. Trevor's family endured the unimaginable pain of planning a funeral for their son, who was in fact fighting for his life in intensive care.
Conversely, Joshua Johnson's relatives visited the hospital daily, believing the critically injured patient was their loved one. Due to the severity of the injuries, they did not realise the person in the bed was not Joshua.
The horrifying error was only uncovered when Trevor regained consciousness and was able to tell medical staff his real name and date of birth.
Families' outrage and police response
A source close to Trevor Wynn's family has since labelled the police's handling of the identification process as "disgusting". The mistake meant both families experienced a prolonged and traumatic ordeal based on false information.
The 22-day delay in correcting the error has raised serious questions about the identification protocols used by South Yorkshire Police following fatal incidents. The force has confirmed that the wrong identity was provided to the families but has not yet detailed how the mix-up occurred.
This case highlights the profound human cost of administrative failure, leaving two families to process a rollercoaster of grief, false hope, and ultimate devastation.
