“What we have been through and are continuing to go through is unimaginable,” they said.
“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.”
Summer Louise Scott, 17, also died in the crash on Todwick Road, near Rotherham.
She was driving a silver Toyota Corolla with Johnson and Wynn as passengers.
‘The most unbelievable situation’
The family visited Wynn in hospital every day for three weeks but did not realise he was not their son because of the severity of his injuries.
“They just thought it was Josh – they had no reason to think it wasn’t their son,” a source told the Daily Mail. “It’s just the most unbelievable situation.
“They’re still trying to come to terms with the fact it was a different boy and that their son actually died in the crash three weeks earlier. They have so many questions, plus of course, instead of praying for Josh’s recovery they’re now grieving for him.”
The Mail reported that Wynn’s parents also visited Johnson’s body and mistakenly accepted that he was their son.
When Wynn awoke from his coma, he asked nurses and a visiting friend: “Why are you calling me Josh?”
The friend alerted Johnson’s parents and South Yorkshire police, which then realised its mistake after forensic tests were conducted.
Johnson’s family said he was a “loveable, gentle giant” who had a passion for stock car racing.
“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,” they said.
Donations worth more than £1000 ($2330) were made to a fundraiser for Wynn’s family after they were told he had died.
The funds will now be used in helping him “move forward in life and supporting his family through this recovery process”.
Force to ‘co-operate’ in investigation
South Yorkshire police has now referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which said it was assessing the referral to decide whether to launch an investigation.
Sarah Champion, the MP for Rotherham, said: “My heart goes out to the families involved. I will be holding the police to account to make sure this cannot happen again – the pain they have caused is unimaginable.”
In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Colin McFarlane said the incident had been a “shock to everyone”.
“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.
“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 co-operate 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.”
The force said an 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a 19-year-old was held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.
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