A GRIEF-stricken dad whose son was misidentified by bungling cops says the memories were “brought back” by a similar heartbreaking case.
Cameron Crawford never got to say goodbye to his son George after the 20-year-old was wrongly identified as his pal following a fatal car crash.
Talented horseman George had picked up his friend’s wallets on a night out, leading to a devastating mix-up after the fatal smash in 2018.
It meant loved ones were not at the agriculture student’s bedside for his final moments before he tragically died in hospital.
Dad Cameron has since spoken out after another recent police mistake saw parents wrongly told their son was killed in a car accident.
The police watchdog is probing South Yorkshire Police after the force misidentified Trevor Wynn, 17, and Joshua Johnson, 18, following a crash.
Joshua died in the horror in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, along with fellow teen Summer Louise Scott, 17, on December 13.
But cops initially reported that Trevor was the one who had died in the crash – even though he was under sedation in hospital.
Both families were informed – with one set of parents believing their son had tragically died for 22 days.
And reflecting on his own heartache eight years ago, Cameron said the recent case “brings it all back”.
He told Sky News: “We could have been at the bedside of our son to say goodbye.
“We had that removed because somebody did not do their job correctly… to see it happening again, my heart bled for both of sets of families.
“It’s not just the families. It’s the friends of these kids. This changes them. The Rotherham case brings it all back like it was yesterday.”
The fatal accident came just ten days after George had started an agriculture course at Harper Adams University in Shropshire.
It is believed he grabbed the wallet of pal Olly Smith by error during a night out in nearby Newport.
But after George was struck in the early hours of Sunday morning, cops who arrived at the scene found his mate’s ID on him.
They then contacted Olly’s relatives, who rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital to find the patient in intensive care was not their son.
Mr Crawford was left devastated when he learned the mix-up had led to the wrong family being summoned to the bedside of his son.
But once the confusion had been sorted out, young George had sadly died in hospital — with his loved ones more than 200 miles away.
Speaking at the time, Cameron said: “If we had been contacted earlier we would have made it there to hold his hand for the last while.
“That’s our biggest regret — we brought George into this world but we weren’t there to see him out.”
The devastated family later set up a charity, the George Crawford Legacy Trust, “to give young people a leg up to realise their dreams”.
Earlier this month, an inquest heard how the tragic mistake following the Rotherham crash unfolded following a mix-up in the teens’ ID cards.
More than three weeks after the crash, “information came to light”, which led to further checks taking place – including forensic testing.
These tests confirmed Trevor was the one in hospital receiving treatment, while Joshua was sadly the teen who had died.
The delay meant Trevor’s family spent Christmas grieving the teenager.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s loved ones hoped he would pull through in hospital.
The teen’s family tragically kept a vigil at the hospital for three weeks believing he was the one in a coma.
It was only when his dad contacted police expressing concerns when Trevor came out of sedation that the horrific truth emerged.
South Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who have launched a probe.
Paying tribute to Joshua , his family described him as a “loveable, gentle giant”.
They said: “What we have been through and are continuing to go through is unimaginable.
“From the moment we were told about the collision, 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.”
