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Four members of the same family, including two young girls, were killed in a terrible car accident that left an 11-year-old girl orphaned and two motorcyclists dead.
Shannen Morgan, her partner Shane Roller and their daughters Lillie and Rubie, aged nine and four, died when their Ford Focus collided with a motorbike on a rural road in West Yorkshire at around 3.54pm on Sunday afternoon.
West Yorkshire Police said the motorcyclist and passenger, a man and a woman, were also confirmed dead at the scene on the A61 between Staincross in Barnsley and Newmillerdam in Wakefield.
Organisers of a fundraiser for Ms Morgan and Mr Roller’s third daughter Poppie, 11, who was not in the car, said she had “lost her whole world in an instant” as they paid tribute to her “loving” family.
A GoFundMe page, which had reached more than £50,000 by Monday afternoon, said: “We reach out to you with heavy hearts and a plea for help.
“On July 21, 2024, a tragic car accident claimed the lives of Poppie’s entire family: her mother, father, and two loving little sisters.
“At just 11 years old, Poppie lost her entire world in an instant.”
“Heartbroken” and shocked, family members took to social media to pay tribute to their loved ones who they said “all had hearts of gold.”
Mr Roller’s brother Callum wrote on Facebook on Sunday: “I am heartbroken. I will[ing to] I miss you all! This broke my heart and it’s absolutely broken[n] on both sides[s] of [the] family[y]! You all had hearts of gold and [I’m going to] I miss you all like crazy! My heart goes out to Shannen [the] My family and I! We are all in shock.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Ms Morgan’s cousin Mandy Louise Dawson said: “Rip to my cousin, her partner and her two youngest daughters. Thinking of my cousins and family at this sad time. Rip Shannen Morgan, gone too soon.”
“I will miss a true gem of a family and good friends of mine terribly. Sending my love to all the family and friends xx,” Michael White wrote.
Jamie Phillips, who was among those who laid flowers at the scene, told the BBC he was friends with Mr Roller.
He said: “He was a normal, hard-working boy… a nice boy, he was always smiling. He was happy and loved his family.”
“I couldn’t sleep last night knowing what happened… Barnsley is a small town so it’s going to affect a lot of people,” he added.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Superintendent Alan Travis of Wakefield District Police described the incident as “truly horrific”, involving a “devastating loss of life”. He said: “My thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones in this incident.”
He thanked the police, fire and ambulance crews who responded to the scene, saying: “This is obviously an extremely tragic incident.”
He added that the road would remain closed for some time to come while police investigations continued.
Photos taken at the scene show the roadway badly damaged and a burnt, blackened and mangled car lying on a grassy roadside. Near the wrecked vehicle, debris can be seen scattered on the road.
Superintendent Travis said earlier: “This is an absolutely tragic incident which has resulted in the loss of six lives.
“Our thoughts are with the families of those who have died and we extend our support to them in these difficult times.”
Local MP Dan Jarvis described the tragedy as “devastating” as he sent his condolences on Sunday evening.
Security Minister Mr Jarvis, who is the MP for Barnsley North, said on X, formerly Twitter: “This is devastating news. My deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101, quoting reference 1157 of 21/7.
