In a terrifying auto accident, four members of the same family perished.
In a terrifying auto accident, four members of the same family perished.
A horrific vehicle accident that claimed the lives of two motorcyclists and left an 11-year-old girl orphaned also claimed the lives of four members of the same family, including two small daughters.
Around 3:54 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, Shannen Morgan, her partner Shane Roller, and their children Rubie, 4, and Lillie, 9, all perished in an accident between their Ford Focus and a motorcycle on a rural West Yorkshire road.
The rider and pillion passenger, a man and a woman, were also pronounced dead at the scene on the A61 between Staincross in Barnsley and Newmillerdam in Wakefield, according to West Yorkshire Police.
In honoring her “loving” family, the organizers of a campaign for Ms. Morgan and Mr. Roller’s third daughter, 11-year-old Poppie, who was not in the car, said she “lost her whole world in an instant.”
A GoFundMe page stated: “We are reaching out to you with heavy hearts and a plea for help.” By Monday afternoon, the page had raised more than £50,000.
“On July 21, 2024, Poppie’s parents, two younger sisters, and her loving mother and father all lost their lives in a horrific car accident.
“Poppie, who is only eleven years old, lost everything in the blink of an eye.”
Family members, who claimed that their loved ones “all had a heart of gold,” paid tribute to their “heartbroken” and “shocked” loved ones on social media.
On Sunday, Callum, the brother of Mr. Roller, posted on Facebook, saying, “I’m absolutely heartbroken.” I will miss each and every one of you! My heart is completely devastated, and the family’s hearts are completely broken as well! You all have the purest hearts, and I will miss you all terribly! My sympathies are with Shannen’s family as well as mine! Everyone here is in complete shock.
Mandy Louise Dawson, a cousin of Ms. Morgan, wrote on Facebook on Monday: “RIP to my cousin, her partner, and her two youngest daughters.” During this difficult moment, I’m thinking of my cousins and family. Shannen Morgan, RIP, departed too soon.
Sending love to all family and friends xx, Michael White commented, “Absolute gem of a family and good friends of mine will miss them dearly.”
One of the people who left flowers at the scene, Jamie Phillips, told the BBC he was friends with Mr. Roller.
“He was a regular, working lad… a nice kid, he was always smiling,” he remarked. He adored his family and was always happy.
Knowing what had transpired, I was unable to sleep through the night. Since Barnsley is a tiny town, a large number of people would be impacted, he continued.
Superintendent Alan Travis of Wakefield District Police called the tragedy “truly horrendous” and said there had been a “devastating loss of life” when speaking to media on the scene. “My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones who have lost loved ones in this incident,” he remarked.
With the words, “This has obviously been an extremely tragic incident,” he expressed his gratitude to the police, fire, and ambulance services who responded to the scene.
He said that as police investigations proceeded, the route would stay closed for a while.
Images from the incident display the severely damaged highway along with a twisted, blackened, and burned automobile on a grass verge. There is wreckage scattered over the road next to the overturned car.
Six lives have been lost in this extremely unfortunate occurrence, according to Supt Travis’ earlier statement.
“At this difficult time, we are working with the families of those who have passed away to provide support,” the statement reads.
Local Member Dan Jarvis expressed his condolences on Sunday night, calling the tragedy “devastating.”
Devastating news was shared by Barnsley North MP and Security Minister Mr. Jarvis on X, a platform that was formerly Twitter. My sincere sympathies are extended to the surviving family members and friends of the deceased.