Girl, 11, whose family were killed in road crash returns to school

A little girl whose parents and sisters were all killed in a horrific road crash has bravely returned to school three months after the tragedy.

The 11-year-old, known locally as Poppie, lost her father Shane Roller, mother Shannon Morgan, and her younger sisters Rubie, nine, and four-year old Lillie when the crash happened on the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield in July.

The family had decided to go on a Sunday walk and were driving back in their Ford Focus when a motorcycle collided with their vehicle at around 3.45pm.

Christopher Barton, 56, and his wife Janine Barton, 48, were riding the motorcycle at the time of the crash and were also killed.

Poppie had not gone on the walk and instead stayed with family friend Paul Hepple, 37, in Barnsley.

Mr Hepple started a GoFundMe campaign in the wake of the crash and aimed to raise £3,000 to ensure Poppie 'has a stable, loving environment where she can heal and grow.'

The fund has now been closed after reaching an 'astonishing' £408,000.

Writing on the fundraising page, Mr Hepple said: 'Thanks to your incredible generosity, an astonishing £408,207 has been raised. The initial target was £3,000 to help with Poppie's immediate needs, and I never could have imagined the outpouring of love and support that followed.

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'There have been 22.5 thousand 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 truly remarkable.

'I want to mention that not a single penny of the funds has been touched yet. GoFundMe is currently awaiting the transfer instructions, and after careful consideration, it has been decided that every single penny will go into a trust fund for Poppie, this 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 doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. She has bravely returned to school and, although she was nervous at first, she is slowly settling in. She is receiving therapy at school, which is helping her navigate her loss.

'Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continued kindness, patience, and support. Your generosity has not only secured Poppie's future but has also brought light during a very dark time.'

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 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 had been overtaking another vehicle when he collided 'head on' with Poppie's family's car.

A driver of an unrelated car was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later released on bail.

The inquest has been postponed to a future date yet to be determined whilst a police investigation was ongoing.