Scottish police tell wrong parents their teenage son has died in car crash

Nineteen-year-old Dylan Irvine died in a crash in Aberdeenshire on Monday. Photo / Scotland Police

It's the news no parent wants to hear.

But for one couple they were put through the trauma of being told their son had died, only to discover it wasn't true.

Scotland teen Dylan Irvine had died in a crash in Aberdeenshire on Monday, according to The Mirror.

But the family of another teenager, who was only injured in the incident, were given the news their son had died.

After clearing up the confusion, police explained officers were confronted with a "confused scene" at the accident site with "incorrect information provided by a witness".

"Officers at the scene of a crash use every avenue available to help identify those involved as quickly and accurately as possible," Chief Inspector Neil Lumsden said.

"This includes using personal effects found at the scene.

"Officers also use various police systems to find out who is the registered keeper of a vehicle, looking at who is insured to drive the vehicle, and checking for any other information that can be found.

"Finally, crash investigators will also use the information gathered from those involved who are able to identify themselves and others."

Despite this, the family were wrongly told their son had died.

Police have since apologised to the family.

"On this occasion, officers were faced with a confused scene, including incorrect information provided by a witness.

"Once identified, the error was promptly corrected and the families of those involved were spoken to and were understanding of the circumstances.

"We have apologised to the families for any unintended upset and will review to identify any learning."