The family of a “loveable, gentle” teenager who died in a car crash have spoken of an “unimaginable” ordeal after police mistakenly told them he had survived.
Joshua Johnson, 18, was killed in a crash on Todwick Road in Rotherham on 13 December, alongside a 17-year-old girl.
But South Yorkshire Police (SYP) initially identified Trevor Wynn, 17, as the boy who had died and police informed his family. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson was thought to be injured and under sedation in hospital.
However, the force admitted it has now referred itself to the policing watchdog after “information came to light”, which led to further checks taking place. In what has been described as an “appalling” mix-up, tests confirmed on Sunday that Mr Wynn was in fact the teenager in hospital receiving treatment, and Mr Johnson was the boy who had died.
Mr Johnson’s loved ones have now paid tribute to the 18-year-old, describing him as a “loveable, gentle giant”.
In the statement issued through police, his family also outlined how they had spent “hours in hospital with who we now know to be Trevor”.
They said: “What we have been through and are continuing to go through is unimaginable.
“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.
“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.”
Speaking of Mr Johnson, his family said: “Whilst he was 18 and exploring his independence, he was ever so genuine in his care for others – us, his brother, his grandparents, his extended family, and his many friends.
“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.”
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.
The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its identification process following the incident.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane vowed to make sure such an incident would never happen again.
He said: “This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone and we recognise 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.”
He added: “We will co-operate fully with any subsequent investigation and will be led by the IOPC on the next steps to determine how this happened, and how we can ensure this never happens again in the future.”
However, people in the community have been left concerned.
Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, said: “This is an appalling situation for the families involved. To be wrongly informed about the death or survival of a loved one is unimaginably distressing, and my thoughts are with all those affected, particularly the family of Joshua Johnson, and with Trevor Wynn and his family as he continues to receive treatment.”
Mr Richards said that “serious questions must be answered how such a failure occurred”, adding that “families deserve accuracy, and dignity”.
