South Yorkshire police told wrong family teenager had died in crash

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Serena RichardsJanuary 6, 2026 at 07:00 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

South Yorkshire Police mistakenly informed the family of Trevor Wynn, a 17-year-old involved in a serious car crash in Rotherham on December 13th, that he had died. Initially, police believed Wynn had died alongside a 17-year-old girl, while 18-year-old Joshua Johnson was injured. However, further testing revealed that Wynn was alive and hospitalized, while Johnson had died. The police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the misidentification and are offering support to both families. An 18-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and a 19-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, both bailed pending further inquiries.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Rotherham 50% Todwick Road 60% Colin McFarlane 60% Joshua Johnson ×380% Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) ×385% Trevor Wynn ×590% South Yorkshire Police ×495%

Keywords

mis-identification 100% car crash 90% police investigation 80% south yorkshire police 70% independent office for police conduct 70% road traffic collision 60% perverting the course of justice 50% causing death by dangerous driving 50% family support 40%