Rhiannon Ingle
A family who were mistakenly told their teenage son had survived a car crash have described the heartbreak of discovering they had spent hours at the bedside of the 'wrong boy'.
The parents of Joshua Johnson, 18, were wrongly informed that he had lived through a crash on December 13th that tragically killed two other teenagers.
Believing their son was alive, they kept a bedside vigil in hospital.
However, the teenager they were sat with wasn't actually their beloved son but was, in fact, Trevor Wynn, 17, who had been left in a coma following the crash in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
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Joshua’s parents only learned the truth when Trevor woke from the coma and identified himself. It then emerged that Joshua had in fact died.
It also emerged that no one had been allowed to visit the teenager who was wrongly identified as Joshua while he was in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
South Yorkshire Police said Trevor was initially believed to have been killed in the crash on Todwick Road, Rotherham, shortly before 3am on December 13th.
His family were told the teenager, known as TJ and from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, had died.
Days later, officers discovered he was alive in hospital after he woke from a coma and gave his name and date of birth.
Joshua, 18, was the teenager who died in the crash, along with an unnamed 17-year-old girl who was driving.
In a moving tribute, the grieving family said they had 'spent many hours' in hospital believing their son was fighting for his life.
They shared: "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."
The family continued to note that the devastating ordeal they were put through was 'unimaginable', adding: "Josh was our firstborn – 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."
They added that many of their 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," the family said. "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."
Rounding off the heartbreaking statement, the family stated: "We will treasure our holidays as a family and with friends – we explored the world together and this was something that Josh loved.
"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."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.