"Two deaths": Family of teen killed in horror Rotherham crash speak out after police mix up
Driver Summer Scott and one passenger were killed
A family faced the double heartbreak of learning their son had died in a road crash three weeks after being told he had survived.
Joshua Johnson, of Kimberworth, Rotherham, was a rear seat passenger in a car driven at 95 mph on Todwick Road, between Dinnington and Todwick, shortly before leaving the road and hitting a tree.
Driver Summer Scott and one passenger were killed, with one other badly hurt.
South Yorkshire Police told the Johnson family 18-year-old Joshua, a former Rotherham College student, had survived and was in hospital.
That was in mid December, but on January 4 the patient awoke and it emerged it was the second passenger, Trevor Wynn, who was presumed dead until that point.
Lee Johnson said in a statement at an inquest into his son that "This came as a huge shock, it seemed like as a family we have had two deaths.
Mr Johnson explained how he and his wife spent weeks at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, in Sheffield, believing they were sitting with their serious injured son, only to be told there had been a mistake.
Evidence given revealed that police officers used a driving licence to identify the casualty they thought to be Josh, and a college identity card to identify Trevor.
The survivor was put into a induced coma as part of his treatment, and emerged from that on January 4, when it emerged he was Trevor and not - as assumed - Josh.
His family then had to deal with the heartbreak.
By that point the dead teenager had already been identified as Trevor Wynn at an inquest opening and Coroner Nicola Mundy had to open a second hearing to correct the facts.
Police also used Det Chief Insp Andrew Knowles, a senior investigating officer and senior identification manager, to carry out fresh identifications on both Josh and Trevor.
Dental records were used to clarify the situation for both men.
Senior coroner Nicola Mundy read the statement of DCI Knowles who told the court in January how the mix-up began when a number of items of personal property were found at the scene, “though were not physically about the person of either of the males”.
One of these items was a phone in a case, which also contained Joshua Johnson’s driving licence.
A second phone nearby contained medical ID information in the name of Trevor Wynn, and a bank card in the same name was also attached.
Mr Knowles told the court earlier this year how an officer used this information to trace Trevor Wynn’s mother, who provided a college ID card, as well as a description of his build and footwear.
The senior officer said: “That officer then took this ID card to Rotherham Mortuary where, at that time, the deceased victim of the collision was booked in as an unknown male.
“Upon considering the comparison between the male’s features against the ID, and also considering the descriptive details of build and clothing, the officer was satisfied that this was the body of Trevor Wynn.”
Mr Knowles said a second officer, with the surviving but sedated teenager, was told this person was Joshua Johnson by colleagues at the crash site, and was able to obtain a photograph from Mr Johnson’s driving licence.
He said: “The officer liaised with medical staff and the photograph was compared against the casualty.
“Those present were then satisfied that this person was Joshua Johnson.”
Mr Knowles explained how he set out establishing the true identity of the deceased male with “no further reliance in this case on visual recognition as a form of ID” and this was done using dental records.
Coroner Nicola Mundy recorded a conclusion that Joshua's death was unlawful killing.
She told the hearing that a range of criteria had to be met to justify that finding, and she was satisfied they had, including that the driver's behaviour was "so bad and reprehensible as amounting to gross negligence".
The hearing heard that unqualified and inexperienced driver Summer Louise Scott, 17, had only a provisional licence and drove in a way which created a risk to life.
Road markings indicating a hazard ahead were not heeded, she said.
After the conclusion, a family statement was read which described Josh as "Our beloved son, a gentle giant with a massive heart.
"Your love will remain in our hearts for ever. Love you, son, rest in peace."
After college in Rotherham, Josh had worked for the family's business before moving to Next at Manvers and then Tesco in Rotherham.
The hearing heard he had a keen interest in Scania trucks and had hoped to become a lorry driver.
He also had an interest in stock-car racing