|
A girl whose parents and sisters died in a horrific road accident has bravely returned to school three months after the tragedy.
The 11-year-old girl, known locally as Poppie, lost her dad Shane Roller, mum Shannon Morgan and her younger sisters Rubie, nine, and Lillie, four, when the crash happened on the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield in July .
The family had decided to go for a walk on Sunday and were returning in their Ford Focus when a motorcycle collided with their vehicle at around 3:45 pm.
Christopher Barton, 56, and his wife Janine Barton, 48, were driving the motorcycle at the time of the accident and also died.
Poppie didn't go for a walk and instead stayed with family friend Paul Hepple, 37, in Barnsley.
Hepple started a GoFundMe campaign following the accident and aimed to raise £3,000 to ensure Poppie “has a stable, loving environment where she can heal and grow”.
The fund has now closed after reaching an 'astonishing' value of £408,000.
Shane Roller, his partner Shannen Morgan and their children Lillie and Rubie died when their Ford Focus crashed into a motorbike. His third daughter Poppie's face is obscured in this photo
An aerial photo of the crash site on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley
Flowers were left near the scene of the fatal accident between Barnsley and Wakefield
Writing on the fundraising page, Mr Hepple said: “Thanks to your incredible generosity, an astonishing £408,207 was raised. The initial target was £3,000 to help with Poppie's immediate needs, and I could never have imagined the outpouring of love and support that followed.
'There were 22,500 donations from people all over the world. Donations are now closed, as the amount raised is far beyond what anyone could have expected. It's really remarkable.
«I want to mention that not a single cent of the funds has yet been touched. GoFundMe is currently awaiting transfer instructions and, after careful consideration, it has been decided that every penny will go into a trust fund for Poppie, which ensures that your incredible generosity will continue to support her long into the future.
Giving an update on Poppie, Mr Hepple said she was doing “extremely well under the circumstances” and is receiving therapy at school which is helping her “navigate the loss”.
He said: 'Poppie is as well as can be expected under the circumstances. She bravely returned to school and although she was nervous at first, she is slowly adapting. She is receiving therapy at school, which is helping her deal with her loss.
'Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart for your continued kindness, patience and support. Your generosity not only secured Poppie's future, but also brought light during a very dark time.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to pay for the surviving daughter's education, emotional support and future care
Lillie (right) pictured with her older sister Rubie (left)
Shane Roller and his partner Shannen Morgan were returning with two of their three children after a Sunday walk
Lillie and Rubie tragically died in the accident. They are pictured with their surviving sister
Photos from the aftermath of the accident showed a burnt-out car on the side of the road.
Footage after the crash showed a burnt out car and a large police presence on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley.
West Yorkshire Police described the collision as an “absolutely tragic incident” and called for witnesses to come forward with dashcam footage.
An initial hearing at Wakefield Coroner's Court revealed that motorcyclist Mr Barton was overtaking another vehicle when he collided 'head-on' with Poppie's family car.
A driver of an unrelated car was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later released on bail.
The inquest was adjourned to a future date yet to be determined while a police investigation was ongoing.
