Police have admitted a shocking mix-up after a 17-year-old boy declared dead in a car crash woke from a coma three weeks later. Trevor Wynn, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, was identified by South Yorkshire Police as one of the fatalities in a collision near Rotherham on December 13. But the teenager, also known as TJ, regained consciousness in hospital and gave doctors his name and date of birth, prompting an urgent review.
The collision, involving a silver Toyota Corolla, killed two other people: 18-year-old Joshua Johnson and an unnamed 17-year-old girl who was driving. Initially, police believed Joshua was sedated in hospital, but the mistaken identification led them to tell Trevor's family he had died. The family had started planning a funeral and set up a GoFundMe page to cover costs.
In an unexpected update on the fundraising page, a family spokesperson said: 'Following recent confirmation, it has now come to light that TJ is alive. The police initially made a mistake and identified the wrong person.' The family stressed their focus is on TJ’s recovery, which will require medical care, rehabilitation, and travel expenses.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane apologised for the error, saying it had caused 'additional trauma.' He confirmed the force had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to investigate the identification process. 'We are absolutely committed to understanding how this happened so it cannot happen again,' he added.
Meanwhile, 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 remain on bail pending further enquiries.
