A 50-year-old man is set to face court following a high-profile investigation into a devastating 2024 road collision that claimed the lives of six people and left a young girl orphaned.
Christopher Cockell, of Gresford Close, Woolley Grange, has been charged with six counts of causing death by dangerous driving. The charges relate to a catastrophic incident on the A61 between Staincross and Newmillerdam, near Wakefield, which occurred on the afternoon of July 21, 2024.
The collision involved a silver Ford Focus and a BMW motorcycle. The impact, which resulted in a fireball, claimed the lives of the entire family travelling in the car: Shane Roller, 33, Shannen Morgan, 30, and their two daughters, nine-year-old Rubie and four-year-old Lillie. Also killed in the incident were husband and wife Christopher and Janine Barton, 56 and 48, who were travelling on the motorcycle.
The tragedy left the community devastated, specifically due to the plight of the couple’s eldest daughter, who was 11 years old at the time. She survived only because she was not in the vehicle when the crash occurred. In the wake of the loss, a massive outpouring of public support saw more than £400,000 raised via a GoFundMe page established by family friends. The funds were earmarked to support the orphaned child’s future, covering education, counselling, and essential living expenses.
The young girl, described by those close to her as a “bright and resilient” fan of Taylor Swift, has been hailed for her strength in the face of an “unimaginable loss.”
An inquest into the deaths previously heard that the collision occurred at approximately 3:50pm. Emergency services were scrambled to the scene on Barnsley Road following reports of the crash, but all six individuals involved were confirmed to have died as a result of the incident.
The legal proceedings have followed a lengthy and complex investigation conducted by the West Yorkshire Police Major Collision Enquiry Team (MCET). A police spokesperson confirmed the charges against Mr. Cockell this week, stating that the suspect has been summoned to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 28 October to answer for the six counts.
In the months following the tragedy, friends and family shared heartfelt tributes to the victims on social media. Many expressed shock and deep sorrow at the loss of what they described as a “beautiful family.”
“My heart just hurts, my brain won’t accept what’s happened,” one relative wrote at the time. “Sleep tight my little Roller family, your memory will live on for eternity.”
As the court date approaches, the case remains a subject of intense focus for the community that rallied to support the survivor of the tragedy.
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