A catastrophic police error led to two families enduring a three-week nightmare of mistaken identity following a fatal car crash, with one family grieving for a son who was alive in hospital and another keeping vigil beside a teenager they believed was their own.
The Fatal Collision and Initial Confusion
On 13 December, a collision near Rotherham claimed the lives of two teenagers and left a third seriously injured. South Yorkshire Police initially informed the family of Trevor "TJ" Wynn, 17, that he had died alongside Summer Louise Scott, 17. They were told that Joshua Johnson, 18, was the survivor fighting for his life in hospital.
Acting on this information, Joshua's family spent countless hours at the hospital bedside of the injured teenager, who they were convinced was their son. Meanwhile, Trevor's family, having viewed a body presented to them by authorities, accepted that their son had died and began making funeral arrangements.
A Heartbreaking Discovery After Weeks of Anguish
The devastating truth only emerged on Sunday, three weeks after the crash, when the teenager in hospital began to regain consciousness. As his memory returned, he started talking about his family and his studies – details that did not match Joshua Johnson's life.
He began asking nurses and visitors, "Why are you calling me Josh?" A friend who was present contacted Joshua's parents, who then alerted South Yorkshire Police. This led to the shattering revelation: the boy in the hospital was in fact Trevor Wynn, and it was Joshua Johnson who had tragically died at the scene.
A source explained the horrific situation: "They just thought it was Josh, they had no reason to think it wasn’t their son. They’re still trying to come to terms with the fact it was a different boy and that their son actually died in the crash three weeks earlier."
Families' Statements and Police Referral
In a moving statement, Joshua's family described their unimaginable ordeal: "From the moment we were told about the collision in December, ourselves and many loved ones have spent hours in hospital with who we now know to be Trevor. We never wanted him to be alone." They paid tribute to Joshua as a "loveable, gentle giant" who was passionate about stock car racing.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane confirmed he has offered to meet both families. He stated: "This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone and we recognise the additional trauma this may cause." South Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is assessing whether an investigation is required.
The IOPC told the BBC it was reviewing the referral. This case raises profound questions about identification procedures following major incidents and the immense secondary trauma such errors can inflict on grieving families.
