MP seeking answers after South Yorkshire Police told wrong parents their son had died in crash
An MP is seeking answers from South Yorkshire Police after the force told the parents of a teenage boy he had died in a crash - when he was actually fighting for life in a nearby hospital for three weeks.
The parents of Trevor Wynn, aged 17, were told he had died alongside a 17-year-old girl in a horror crash on Todwick Road, Rotherham, on December 13.
For three weeks friends and family members mourned the teenager’s death.
An online fundraising page was launched to help the teenager’s family and his funeral was planned.
Meanwhile, the parents of 18-year-old Joshua Johnson were told that their son had survived the crash, albeit critically injured, and spent three weeks willing him to pull through.
But on Sunday, January 4, in a shocking turn of events, it was discovered that the identities of the two teens had been mixed up during the formal identification process.
It was Joshua who had tragically died, and Trevor who had survived.
An investigation into what happened is underway.
Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, said: “I am shocked and saddened by the statement released by South Yorkshire Police regarding the misidentification of the victims involved in the tragic road traffic collision on Todwick Road in December.
“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.
“Support for the families must be the immediate priority.
“Serious questions must be answered about how such a failure occurred and what safeguards were not in place to prevent it.
“Even in the most difficult circumstances, families deserve accuracy, and dignity.
“I note that South Yorkshire Police have referred themselves to the IOPC. This is the right first step, but it cannot be the end of the matter.
“I will be raising this matter directly with South Yorkshire Police and with the South Yorkshire Mayor to seek clear answers.”
Yesterday, Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane 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.
“We have taken the decision to refer ourselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to consider our role in the identification processes which were followed following the road traffic collision.
“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.”
Yesterday, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, whose office manages Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities, said the situation demands ‘a full investigation’ into what went wrong and what systems must change to avoid this ever happening again
Mr Coppard continued: “My heart goes out to Trevor Wynn, his family and the families of Joshua Johnson and the young woman so tragically killed in the road traffic collision late last year. I don’t know that any of us can imagine what their families and friends have been going through over these past few weeks.
"I’ve spoken directly with the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, who has briefed me on the events leading up to (yesterday’s) today’s announcement and I welcome their decision to refer the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
"As the police have rightfully acknowledged, an incident of this nature demands a full investigation and changes to any processes that have allowed families to be put in this position.
“I will of course continue to monitor the situation, and the support offered to the families of those affected as they continue to try to make sense of such a tragic situation.”
An 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and a 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice following the crash.
Both remain on bail pending further enquiries.