The 18-year-old was critically injured in the crash on the A90 near Crimond in Aberdeenshire on Monday, but his family were told he had been killed.
However, it was actually Dylan Irvine, 19, described as a “loving son, brother and grandson”, who died.
The crash happened between Crimond and the St Fergus gas terminal at roughly 7.30am on Monday.
Police said officers were faced with a “confused scene, including incorrect information provided by a witness” and that the error was promptly corrected.
Chief Inspector Neil Lumsden said: “Officers at the scene of a crash use every avenue available to help identify those involved as quickly and accurately as possible. This includes using personal effects found at the scene.
