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The future plans of the 11-year-old girl, left orphaned after a terrible car crash that killed four members of her family, have been revealed.
Poppie Roller, 11, is the only surviving member of her immediate family after Shannen Morgan, her partner Shane Roller and their other daughters Lillie and Rubie, aged nine and four, died in a collision on a rural road in West Yorkshire on Sunday afternoon.
Tributes have been paid to the “happy” young girls after the family’s Ford Focus car reportedly caught fire following a crash with a motorbike on the A61 between Staincross in Barnsley and Newmillerdam in Wakefield at around 3.54pm.
Married couple Christopher Barton, 56, and Janine Barton, 48, have been identified as the motorcyclist and passenger who also died in the crash. The couple, who had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, were described by their son as “a loving and caring mother and father who always put me first.”
This is what a shocked witness said. The Independent The incident left her “horrified”. The 51-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, said she smelled burning and saw smoke rising into the sky before seeing several huge fires as her car approached the scene. “It was quiet, apart from burning and crackling,” she said. “The car was a fireball… There was debris all over the road.”
A fundraiser for Poppie, who was not in the car but “lost her whole world in an instant”, had reached more than £272,000 by Tuesday lunchtime when organisers posted an update on the 11-year-old.
Family friend Paul Hepple said Poppie had stayed with her family after the tragedy as she is best friends with her stepdaughter. However, he revealed she would soon be living with her “loving and capable” aunt, who will become her new guardian.
Mr Hepple also revealed that donations to the fundraiser will go towards Poppie’s wellbeing, including living expenses, education and possible counselling. He added that some of the funds could be used towards funeral expenses for the 11-year-old’s family.
Expressing gratitude for the “massive” support from well-wishers, with more than 15,000 people now having donated to the fundraiser, Mr Hepple wrote: “I want to assure you that every penny will go directly to Poppie’s new guardian, her aunt.
“Poppie will live with her aunt, who is a wonderful, loving and capable guardian. She will be fully responsible for managing the donations, ensuring that all funds are used for Poppie’s well-being, including her living expenses, education and any counselling she may require.
“In addition, part of the funds may be used for funeral expenses for Poppie’s family if they wish.
“Thank you again to everyone for your incredible generosity and support. Your contributions are making a significant difference in Poppie’s life, providing her with the stability and care she needs during this difficult time.”
It comes as staff at a primary school paid tribute to Poppie’s two sisters, praising them as “a joy to teach”.
Following the tragedy, Athersley North Primary School released a statement saying: “It is with the deepest sadness that we address the heartbreaking news regarding Rubie, Lillie and their parents. This tragic and devastating loss will be felt by many in our communities.”
“Rubie was a kind, happy and caring girl with a lovely personality. She was always very hard working and well-liked by her friends. She was a fantastic role model to her peers and aspired to become a teacher.
“Lillie was a bright, bubbly and cheerful little girl who was very popular in her class. She was creative and very determined. Like her big sister, she also aspired to become a teacher.
“Both girls were an asset to the school and a pleasure to teach. They were much loved by the school community and their loss is a devastating blow to all who knew them.
“The girls have done their parents proud, who have always been incredibly supportive and will also miss them greatly.
“Our deepest thoughts are with their sister and her family at this incredibly sad time.”
“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.
Jamie Phillips, who was among those who left flowers at the scene, told the BBC He was friends with Mr Roller. “He was a normal, hard-working lad… a nice lad, always smiling. He was happy and loved his family,” Mr Phillips said, adding: “I couldn’t sleep last night knowing what had happened… Barnsley is a small town so it’s going to affect a lot of people.”
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.
Speaking to reporters at the scene on Monday, Superintendent Alan Travis of Wakefield District Police described the incident as “truly horrific”, involving a “devastating loss of life”. He said: “My heart goes out to 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.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101, quoting reference 1157 of 21/7.
