South Yorkshire Police have admitted to a serious identification error after mistakenly informing the family of a 17-year-old boy that he had died in a car crash, when in fact he had survived.
The force confirmed that officers wrongly told relatives of Trevor Wynn, 17, that he had been killed in a collision near Rotherham in December, causing significant additional distress to his family.
At the same time, police incorrectly identified Joshua Johnson, 18, as the teenager who had survived the crash, when it was later established that Johnson was among those who died.
The collision occurred in the early hours of 13 December on Todwick Road, between Dinnington and Todwick, when a silver Toyota Corolla left the road and crashed. Emergency services were called shortly after the incident.
Initial police statements said a 17-year-old girl, who was driving the vehicle, and a 17-year-old boy were pronounced dead at the scene. An 18-year-old male was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Following the crash, Wynn’s family were told he was one of those who had died. Johnson was believed to be the teenager receiving hospital treatment and recovering from his injuries.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, South Yorkshire Police said “concerns” had been raised about the identities of those involved in the collision, triggering a review of the information previously provided.
A police spokesperson said that “information came to light” on Sunday which prompted further formal identification processes, including forensic examinations, to be carried out by officers.
These additional checks ultimately confirmed that a mistake had been made and that the identities of the two teenage boys had been wrongly recorded and communicated to their families.
Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said the force had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) immediately after identifying the error.
He acknowledged the profound impact of the mistake, saying police were fully aware of “the additional trauma this may cause” to families already coping with the aftermath of the crash.
“This has obviously come as a huge shock to everyone,” McFarlane said. “We recognise the distress this situation has caused and we are deeply sorry for the pain experienced by the families involved.”
He added that South Yorkshire Police were supporting both families and had engaged specialist agencies to provide emotional and practical assistance during what he described as an extremely difficult period.
McFarlane also confirmed that he had offered to meet personally with both sets of parents to address their concerns and explain the steps being taken to understand how the error occurred.
“I am sure they will have many questions,” he said. “While we are not able to answer all of them yet, we are absolutely committed to establishing how this happened so it cannot happen again.”
The force said it would cooperate fully with any investigation launched by the police watchdog and would implement any recommendations arising from the process.
Wynn was not formally named by police at the time of the crash, but he was widely identified on social media and in local news reports as having been killed, compounding the confusion.
The 17-year-old girl who died in the collision has not yet been publicly named by authorities, in line with standard procedures and family wishes.
Police confirmed that an 18-year-old man arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and a 19-year-old arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, remain on bail pending further inquiries.
The IOPC said it is currently assessing the self-referral to determine whether a full independent investigation into the circumstances and police conduct is required.
