Force refers itself to IOPC over mistaken identities of victims in fatal traffic collision

On Sunday January 4, concerns were raised regarding the identity of those killed in the collision on Todwick Road, Rotherham, on Saturday December 13, 2025.

A 17-year-old girl died in the collision, and Trevor Wynn, 17, was also believed to have died in the collision and his family had been informed.

A male, who at that time was believed to be Joshua Johnson, 18, had been sedated in hospital since the collision.

In a statement, the force said: “On Sunday, information came to light which has now led to further formal identification processes, including forensics, to be undertaken.

“This has confirmed that Trevor Wynn is, in fact, the male in hospital receiving treatment and Joshua Johnson is sadly deceased.

“The families and surviving victim, Trevor, will be offered support from specialist officers and additional specialist services.”

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.”

He added: “We have taken the decision to refer ourselves to the IOPC to consider our role in the identification processes which were followed following the road traffic collision.

“We will cooperate 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.”

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. Both remain on bail pending further inquiries.

The IOPC said it was informed by South Yorkshire Police on Tuesday (January 6) that initially police had incorrectly informed the family of the 17-year-old boy that he had died, and told the family of Joshua Johnson he was sedated in hospital.

“We have now begun an independent investigation, which will look at the actions and decision-making of police involved in the identification process,” it added.

IOPC Director Emily Barry said: “My sincere condolences and thoughts go out to all those involved. It’s hard to imagine what these families have been through in the past few weeks. It is clear something has gone very wrong with awful consequences for them.

“We understand the concern about this incident and it is vital that we carry out a thorough investigation, independently of the police, to establish exactly how and why this happened.

“We will carefully examine the circumstances regarding the identification of individuals following the collision, including what policies and procedures were in place and whether they were followed appropriately, to determine the facts and identify any learning arising from this tragic situation.”

In a tribute, the family of Joshua Johnson, 18, said: “Josh was our first born – a loveable, gentle giant.

“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.

“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.”