Doncaster Coroner's Court has heard that a 17-year-old boy was misidentified as the victim of a fatal car crash after a police officer relied on a photo ID card and a family description. The error meant Joshua Johnson, 18, was initially not identified as the male who died in the collision in Rotherham on December 13.
The court was told that two teenagers died and another was seriously injured when a silver Toyota Corolla struck a tree on Todwick Road. Police initially believed the deceased male was Trevor Wynn, 17, after an officer compared his features with a college ID card provided by his mother. However, a phone containing Joshua's driving licence and another with Trevor's medical information had been found at the scene.
Joshua's father raised concerns when the surviving teenager, who had been sedated, came round in hospital and was not his son. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles said Joshua's identity was confirmed 'to a high degree of certainty' using dental records. The officer explained that a second officer had mistaken the survivor for Joshua after comparing his photo from a driving licence.
Senior coroner Nicola Mundy expressed sympathy to Joshua's parents, who attended via video link, and said identification issues had been 'fully resolved'. Inquests for the female victim, understood to be Summer Louise Scott, and the male victim had been opened on December 22.
South Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has begun an investigation. IOPC director Emily Barry said it was 'clear something has gone very wrong' with 'awful consequences' for the families involved.
