An inquest has heard how a father only found out his son had died three weeks after a Rotherham car crash, after police misidentification led him to keep a bedside vigil for the wrong teenager
A dad who only discovered his son had died three weeks after a car crash due to a police identification blunder “couldn’t comprehend it” and feels his family has endured two deaths, an inquest heard.
Joshua Johnson, 18, and Summer Louise Scott, 17, tragically lost their lives when a Toyota Corolla veered off Todwick Road, near Rotherham, and collided with a tree in the early hours of December 13 last year, Doncaster inquests were told on Monday.
A previous hearing revealed how police initially misidentified front seat passenger Trevor Wynn, then 17, as the male victim of the crash, leading Mr Wynn’s family to believe he was dead until he woke from sedation three weeks later, on January 4.
Simultaneously, Mr Johnson’s family kept vigil at the bedside of the seriously injured Mr Wynn, unaware that their son had passed away. A statement from Mr Johnson’s father, Lee Johnson, was read out at Doncaster Coroner’s Court on Monday, where a coroner ruled his son had been unlawfully killed.
Mr Johnson detailed how he and his wife spent weeks at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, in Sheffield, under the impression they were sitting with their gravely injured son, only to be informed there had been an error.
He stated: “This information came as a huge shock and I cannot comprehend it. It felt like, as a family, we had two deaths. I felt I had missed out on the initial grieving part of the process.”
Senior coroner Nicola Mundy read out the statement from Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles, of South Yorkshire Police, who explained to the court in January how the confusion started when several personal belongings were discovered at the scene, “though were not physically about the person of either of the males”.
Among these items was a mobile phone in a case, which also held Joshua Johnson’s driving licence. A second mobile phone found close by contained medical ID details in Trevor Wynn’s name, and a bank card bearing the same name was also present.
Mr Knowles had told the court earlier this year how an officer utilised this information to track down Trevor Wynn’s mother, who supplied a college ID card along with a description of his physique and shoes.
The senior officer explained: “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 revealed that a second officer, accompanying the surviving but heavily sedated teenager, was informed by colleagues at the crash scene that this individual was Joshua Johnson, and managed to secure a photograph from Mr Johnson’s driving licence.
He added: “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 detailed how he went about confirming the true identity of the deceased male, stating there was “no further reliance in this case on visual recognition as a form of ID”, and identification was achieved using dental records.
Separate inquests into the deaths of Mr Johnson and Miss Scott took place on Monday. Senior Rotherham Coroner Nicola Mundy was told that Miss Scott was behind the wheel of the Toyota and lost control as she neared a slight bend.
The vehicle veered across a verge, collided with a low wall causing it to flip in the air before striking a mature tree nearly 50m from the road.
The inquests revealed that police investigators utilised the tracking app Life360, installed on one of the mobiles in the car, to ascertain that the vehicle had been travelling at 95mph for approximately a kilometre prior to the crash, slowing to 86mph roughly 130m before the bend.
Forensic collision investigator Peter Gallagher stated this was the first instance his team had employed this method. Mr Gallagher revealed tests indicated the maximum safe speed to navigate the bend was 68mph.
The inquest was informed that Miss Scott held a provisional driving licence but had not yet passed her test. Pc Joe Binley reported that two men were apprehended who were in a vehicle trailing the Toyota.
He stated that officers probed whether the cars had been racing, but evidence, including a Snapchat video of the crash filmed by someone in the second car, indicated there was a gap between the vehicles and it was Miss Scott’s choice to drive as she did.
Miss Scott had informed friends about a problem with her car’s brakes, but the inquest found no defects on the vehicle that could have contributed to the accident. The coroner heard that Miss Scott’s family characterised her as “loving, caring and very funny” but also “fierce and sassy”. They mentioned her long-standing passion for cars.
Mr Johnson’s family portrayed him as a “gentle giant” with a “massive heart”, who had a “bright future ahead that was tragically cut short”. The coroner concluded that Miss Scott died as a result of a road traffic collision and Mr Johnson was unlawfully killed.
Earlier this year, the police watchdog, which is investigating the misidentification mistake, stated it was “clear something has gone very wrong”, leading to “awful consequences” for both families.
A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced on Monday that the investigation was “at an advanced stage” and they hoped it would conclude “in the coming weeks”.
South Yorkshire Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane stated: “We recognise the shock and significant distress caused by the misidentification following the collision on Todwick Road, and the unimaginable consequences this had for the families involved. Only those involved can truly understand.”
Mr McFarlane mentioned that the force took immediate steps to review processes and will consider the findings of the IOPC when it reports. He added that work is in progress to ensure all officers are confident following new guidance issued by the College of Policing in August.
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