Fundraiser for girl orphaned by accident raises over £400,000

More than £400,000 has been raised to support an 11-year-old girl whose parents and two sisters died in an accident.

Shane Roller, his partner Shannen Morgan and their daughters Rubie, 9, and Lillie, 4, died in a collision on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley in July.

In response to the tragedy, a fundraiser was organized for the couple’s third daughter, who was not with them at the time of the crash.

Organizers wrapped up the collection on Friday, thanking donors for their “remarkable” generosity that “brought light to a very dark time.”

The family, from Athersley, near Barnsley, died on July 21 when their Ford Focus collided with a motorcycle.

Christopher and Janine Barton, who were both riding the motorcycle, also died in the accident.

A GoFundMe page was set up by Paul Hepple, initially to support Mr Roller and Ms Morgan’s daughter with “immediate needs”.

However, money continued to pour in and more than 22,000 people donated to the cause before the site was shut down.

Mr Hepple wrote on GoFundMe that the £408,000 raised would now be transferred to a trust fund for the girl, who was “doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances”.

He added: “I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continued kindness, patience and support.”

“Their generosity not only secured their future, but also brought light to a very dark time.”

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Soundsfind out about the latest Episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should cover here.

More on this story