South Yorkshire police have admitted a catastrophic identification error following a serious collision in Rotherham, wrongly telling a family their 17-year-old son had died when he was actually in hospital.
Trevor Wynn was initially believed to have been killed in the crash on Todwick Road on 13 December, alongside a 17-year-old girl. His family were informed of his death while Joshua Johnson, 18, was thought to be sedated in hospital. However, further checks on Sunday confirmed Wynn was the survivor and Johnson had died.
Before the mistake was discovered, tributes were posted online calling Wynn "the most caring lad with a soft soul", and a fundraising page collected hundreds of pounds. The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and both families will receive specialist support.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said: "This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone... we are absolutely committed to understanding how this happened so it cannot happen again." He has offered to meet both sets of parents.
An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and a 19-year-old on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.
