Family’s ‘unimaginable’ ordeal after police mistakenly told them son survived fatal crash

The family of a teenager killed in a car crash have described going through an ‘unimaginable’ ordeal after police mistakenly told them he had survived.

South Yorkshire Police initially believed Joshua Johnson, 18, was seriously injured in the collision in Rotherham on December 13, and that Trevor ‘TJ’ Wynn and Summer Louise Scott, both 17, had died.

But in an update on Sunday, they said ‘information came to light’ confirming Joshua had died with Louise, while Trevor was the one recovering in hospital.

The police watchdog said it was ‘clear something has gone very wrong’, leading to ‘awful consequences’ for the two families.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles, of South Yorkshire Police, told an inquest hearing this morning how Joshua’s father raised concerns over possible misidentification this weekend, when the person he had been told was his son came out of sedation at Rotherham Hospital.

Mr Knowles said Joshua has now been confirmed as the male teenager who died ‘to a high degree of certainty’ using his dental records.

In a statement, Joshua’s family said: ‘From the moment we were told about the collision in December, ourselves and many loved ones have spent hours in hospital with who we now know to be Trevor.

‘We never wanted him to be alone.

‘Only those we shared this time with could understand how this went on for so long.’

Joshua’s parents said he was ‘our first born – a loveable, gentle giant’ who ‘was ever so genuine in his care for others’.

They added: ‘Many of our happiest family memories were made whilst stock car racing.

‘As new parents, we took Josh to his first stock car meeting at just six-weeks-old and he’s had a passion for this ever since. Through stock car racing, we’ve built a massive circle of friends and we are so very thankful for the support they and others have shown us in the last few weeks and days.

‘We will treasure our holidays as a family and with friends – we explored the world together and this was something that Josh loved.

‘What we have been through and are continuing to go through is unimaginable.

‘Neither us nor Josh’s brother can imagine life without him, and as we adjust to this new world and only just begin our journey with grief, we ask that our privacy is respected.’

South Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its identification process following the incident.

Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said: ‘This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone and we recognize the additional trauma this may cause.

‘We are supporting Trevor and all the families through this and have engaged specialist agencies to help provide that support.

‘I have also offered to meet with both sets of parents as I am sure they will have many questions, most of which we are not able to answer yet but we are absolutely committed to understanding how this happened so it cannot happen again.’

IOPC director Emily Barry said: ‘My sincere condolences and thoughts go out to all those involved. It’s hard to imagine what these families have been through in the past few weeks.

‘It is clear something has gone very wrong with awful consequences for them.

‘We understand the concern about this incident and it is vital that we carry out a thorough investigation, independently of the police, to establish exactly how and why this happened.

‘We will carefully examine the circumstances regarding the identification of individuals following the collision, including what policies and procedures were in place, and whether they were followed appropriately, to determine the facts and identify any learning arising from this tragic situation.’

Police previously said an 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a 19-year-old was held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.

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