South Yorkshire Police have apologized for a distressing mix-up where they wrongly informed a family that their teenage son had died in a car crash. The incident occurred on Todwick Road in Rotherham on December 13, resulting in the tragic deaths of a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old named Joshua Johnson, while another 17-year-old, Trevor Wynn, was hospitalized and sedated.
In a mistaken identity situation, authorities misidentified Trevor Wynn as Joshua Johnson and informed the wrong family of their son’s passing. It took over three weeks before concerns were raised about the mix-up. Following formal identification procedures, it was confirmed that Trevor Wynn was the teenager receiving treatment in the hospital, and Joshua Johnson was the deceased individual.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane expressed shock over the error and assured that support was being provided to all families involved. The police force has initiated an internal review and self-referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to investigate the identification processes after the crash.
An 18-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, while a 19-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Both individuals are currently on bail as investigations continue.