Police mistakenly informed the wrong family that their teenage son had passed away in an unfortunate mix-up, causing distress. South Yorkshire Police has self-referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following the incident. On December 13, a tragic accident on Todwick Road in Rotherham claimed the lives of a 17-year-old girl and Joshua Johnson, 18, while another teenager, Trevor Wynn, 17, was hospitalized and sedated.
In a regrettable error, law enforcement officers misidentified the sedated teen as Joshua Johnson and mistakenly informed Trevor Wynn’s family of their son’s death. It was not until over three weeks later, on January 4, that doubts arose regarding the crash victims’ identities.
After thorough formal identification procedures, including forensic examination, it has been confirmed that Trevor Wynn is the hospitalized individual receiving treatment, while Joshua Johnson has sadly passed away, according to the police. Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane expressed shock over the revelation and acknowledged the potential additional trauma caused by the mix-up. The families are receiving support from specialized agencies, and a meeting with the parents has been offered to address their questions, although many answers are not yet available.
South Yorkshire Police has taken the initiative to involve the IOPC in reviewing the identification processes followed after the accident. An 18-year-old and a 19-year-old were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice, respectively, and are currently on bail pending further investigation.