GoFundMe page for orphan girl, 11, involved in fireball crash in West Yorkshire raises £171,000 as family friend thanks generous donators
A GoFundMe page for an 11-year-old girl who was left orphaned after her family died in a horrific fireball crash in West Yorkshire has raised more than £171,000 within hours.
Shane Roller, his partner Shannen Morgan and their youngest daughters Rubie, nine, and Lillie, four, died when their Ford Focus collided with a motorbike just before 4pm on Sunday.
The motorbike was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road before the fatal collision that also killed the bike driver and its passenger on the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield.
The eldest daughter of the family, named locally as Poppie, had been playing at a friend’s house at the time of the tragedy after choosing not to go on a walk with them that afternoon, a friend revealed today.
Paul Hepple, 37, had agreed to look after Poppie after getting a phone call from her mother saying she did not want to join them on a walk.
Shane Roller, his partner Shannen Morgan, and their children Lillie and Rubie died when their Ford Focus crashed into a motorbike. The face of their third daughter Poppie is obscured in this picture
A GoFundMe page has now been set up to pay for their surviving daughter’s education, emotional support and future care
Lillie (right) pictured with her older sister Rubie (left)
More than £170,000 has now been raised for young Poppie
The father-of-four, who has set up the GoFundMe page to support Poppie, said they were settling down for a Sunday dinner when they got an emergency phone call.
Within 24 hours, the site has raised more than £171,000 for young Poppie, to help provide for her education, living expenses and counselling.
The donations have been raised by heartbroken family and friends as well as generous members of the public struck by the young girl’s tragedy.
‘We are absolutely blown away by the incredible generosity and kindness shown by all of you,’ Mr Hepple said in an update tonight. ‘This outpouring of love and compassion is truly heartwarming and is making an enormous difference in her life.
‘Your donations are providing Poppie with the stability, care, and resources she needs to navigate this difficult time. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank each and every one of you for your contributions, shares, and messages of support.
‘Your collective kindness is a beacon of hope for Poppie and all of us rallying around her. We will continue to keep you updated on Poppie’s journey and how your generous support is helping her.’
The father-of-four, who set up the GoFundMe [5]page to support Poppie, said they were settling down for a Sunday dinner when they got an emergency phone call.
Mr Hepple said: ‘Her mum actually contacted us and asked if we could watch Poppie because she didn’t want to go on the walk that they went on.
Shane Roller and his partner Shannen Morgan had been driving back with two of their three children after going on a Sunday walk
Lillie and Rubie tragically died in the crash. They are pictured with their surviving sister
Flowers have been left near the scene of the fatal crash between Barnsley and Wakefield
Shane’s brother, Callum, took to social media last night to say he was ‘lost for words’ following the harrowing incident
‘So we were watching Poppie as she’s best mates with our daughter. She was with our daughter having fun. And on their way home, that’s when the accident happened.
‘We were having Sunday dinner as a family, and Poppie’s auntie was with us and obviously, Poppie was as well. And then she got a phone call and she ended up leaving really quickly to go and see what happened.’
The software developer, who is a long-standing friend of Poppie’s parents, has raised hundreds of thousands to support her education, emotional support and future care.
He said: ‘It’s awful. No one is ready for anything like this to happen. She can come any time she likes and we’ll do anything we can to help her.’
Mr Hepple described Poppie as a ‘bubbly’ girl who loved Taylor Swift and said her family was widely liked locally.
He added: ‘She’s a lovely bubbly girl and everyone loved her family. They were always chatty and turned up to parties all the time.’
Victim Shane Roller’s brother, Callum, took to social media on Sunday evening to say he was ‘lost for words’ following the harrowing incident, as he claimed the motorbike had been driving on the wrong side of the road.
‘I’m absolutely heartbroken. I’m gonna miss all of you! It’s absolutely broken my heart and it’s absolutely broken both sides of the family!’ he wrote. You all had a heart of gold and gonna miss you all like crazy! My heart goes out to Shannen’s side of the family and mine! We are all in absolute shock!’
An aerial photo taken today of the crash site on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley
Pictures from the aftermath of the crash showed a burnt-out car by the side of the road
Family friend Jamie Phillips, 31, said he believed the family could have only been on the road ‘for a matter of minutes’ before the collision because they lived nearby.
He said the community had been left devastated by the tragedy and that Shane, who worked part-time as a delivery driver for the local takeaway, was popular in the area.
Speaking as he lay flowers at the scene, Mr Phillips told MailOnline: ‘I couldn’t sleep all night knowing what happened. They were a well-loved family. Shane was hard-working lad, always smiling and cheerful.
‘I said to my partner this morning I just need to come down and lay some flowers. I just had to do something. We’re a small community and we’ve all been affected by it.
‘There’s a poor little girl that’s been left with no family. It’s a shock for us all. They were a lovely family. Bright and cheerful. Just to be travelling down the road and then for something like this to happen, it’s devastating.
‘For all of us as a community, it’s devastating. It’s a bad road. I eat at the café on the road regularly and there’s more people travel up and down here at stupid speeds.
Four female relatives were too upset to speak as they left cards, photos and teddy bears by the scene of the crash today
One card read: ‘Fly high beautiful angels. We will miss you lots’, while a second said: ‘You touched so many hearts. RIP to you all.’
West Yorkshire Police described the collision as an ‘absolutely tragic incident’ and called for witnesses to come forward with dashcam footage.
A wellwisher leaves a bouquet of flowers near the scene of the fatal crash on the A61
One message said the family ‘touched so many hearts’
A steady stream of tributes have been left at the site all day, as well-wishers from the community paid their respects to the family.
One woman broke down in tears as she lay a bouquet of flowers at the scene.
Meanwhile, couple held each other as they lay their flowers, which included a photo of themselves with Shane.
Another friend of the family, a former neighbour, told MailOnline on Monday: ‘They were a perfect family. Everyone is shocked.
‘But as a truck driver I know accidents do happen – especially on that stretch of road. I bumped into Shane in a shop a while back and he was fine so I could not believe it when I heard.’
Security minister Dan Jarvis, who is MP for Barnsley North, said: ‘Devastating news. My heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives,’ he wrote.
Footage of the aftermath of the crash showed a burnt-out car and a large police presence on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley.
West Yorkshire Police[6] described the collision as an ‘absolutely tragic incident’ and called for witnesses to come forward with dashcam footage.
The surviving daughter has been described as ‘bright and resilient’, with an ‘infectious smile and a kind heart’.
Officers at the scene of the horrific incident, which happened on Sunday near Barnsley
Black marks can be seen on the A61 today following the incident yesterday afternoon
The fundraising page, which at time of writing has raised £73,927, said she enjoys playing football and playing outdoors, and is also a ‘huge Taylor Swift[7] fan’.
‘We are reaching out to you with heavy hearts and a plea for help,’ the fundraiser said. ‘On 21st July 2024, a tragic car accident took the lives of (the surviving girl’s) entire family – her loving mum, dad, and two little sisters.
‘At just 11 years old, (she) has lost her whole world in an instant.’
It is understood the family’s Ford Focus burst into flames after colliding with the motorbike. Images show the blackened and mangled wreckage of the vehicle in a grass verge.
Debris, believed to be from the motorbike, could be seen strewn in the middle of the road.
Emergency services were scrambled to the accident shortly before 4pm but were unable to save the six victims.
Superintendent Alan Travis of Wakefield District Police said: ‘This is an absolutely tragic incident which has resulted in the loss of six lives.
‘Our thoughts go out to the families of those who have died who we are working with to provide support at this time.’
The A61 was closed between Shaw Lane and Warren Lane and is likely to remain closed for some time as the investigation continues.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or who has dashcam footage who has not already been in contact with police is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or go online at https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/LiveChat quoting reference 1157 of 21/7.
References
- ^ Eirian Jane Prosser (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Rory Tingle (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Mark Branagan (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Tracey Kandohla (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ GoFundMe (www.gofundme.com)
- ^ West Yorkshire Police (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Taylor Swift (www.dailymail.co.uk)