A catastrophic police blunder plunged two families into a three-week nightmare of mistaken identity, with one family preparing to bury a son who was, in fact, alive and fighting for his life in hospital.
A Funeral Planned for a Living Son
Trevor 'TJ' Wynn's funeral was scheduled for Friday, 12 January, at St Anne's Church in Worksop. His parents, Charlotte and her partner, shattered by the loss of their 17-year-old son in a car crash two weeks before Christmas, had visited the funeral director. They had chosen his clothes and placed unopened Christmas gifts and personal mementoes into a coffin, believing they were preparing their child for his final journey.
For 22 agonising days, they grieved for a son who was not dead. The unimaginable truth emerged only this week: a devastating error by South Yorkshire Police had mixed up the identities of two teenage boys involved in the same crash.
It was actually 18-year-old Joshua Johnson, a friend of TJ's and the second male passenger, who had died instantly in the early hours of 13 December. His parents had been keeping a heartbreaking vigil at a hospital bedside, believing the critically injured patient was their son. The boy they watched over was Trevor Wynn.
How the 'Unthinkable' Error Unfolded
The collision, on a rural road near Rotherham, claimed the life of 17-year-old driver Summer Scott. In the chaotic aftermath, neither male passenger had formal identification on them. Police instead relied on personal items found at the scene.
A phone case containing Joshua Johnson's driving licence and a separate phone with medical ID for Trevor Wynn were discovered. An officer contacted TJ's mother, who provided a college ID card and a description of his build and footwear. Based on this visual comparison at the mortuary, police declared the deceased to be TJ Wynn.
Another officer, travelling in the ambulance with the surviving boy, was given the name Joshua Johnson. A photo from the driving licence was compared to the sedated casualty, and those present were satisfied it was Josh. No forensic checks, such as fingerprints or DNA, were conducted at this stage.
The Johnsons began their vigil at Rotherham Hospital, while the Wynns and Scott's family planned funerals. Tributes piled up for TJ across Worksop. The mistake only came to light on Sunday, 7 January, when the injured teenager regained consciousness and asked nurses, "Why are you calling me Josh?"
Families Left Reeling and Demanding Answers
The fallout has been profound. Joshua's family, in a statement, referenced the "unimaginable" ordeal of spending "hours in hospital with who we now know to be Trevor." They are now arranging their son's actual funeral.
Trevor Wynn remains in hospital facing a long recovery. Funds raised for his funeral will now support his rehabilitation. Jonathan Stoner, a local boxing gym owner who set up the fundraiser, described the moment TJ's mother called him. "She told me 'Sit down! He's still alive. He's still alive!'" he told the Daily Mail. "How do you process that?"
South Yorkshire Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane acknowledged the "huge shock" and "additional trauma" caused. DCI Andrew Knowles, leading the review, confirmed the initial identification relied solely on personal effects and visual checks, with no forensic processes until the error was flagged.
The case has exposed alarming gaps in national procedure. While College of Policing guidelines warn against relying on visual identification, there is no mandated national standard, leaving it to "investigatory initiative." A coroner's hearing in Doncaster on Thursday formally corrected the record, confirming the inquest concerned Joshua Johnson.
Two other teenagers, an 18-year-old arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a 19-year-old on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, remain on bail as the wider investigation continues.
