Man charged with causing deaths by dangerous driving two years after crash killed six, including two young sisters
Christopher Cockell, 50, is due to appear in court on October 28.
A man has been charged with causing the deaths of six people more than two years after a crash.
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Christopher Cockell, 50, of Gresford Close, Woolley Grange, has been charged over the fatal collision which occurred in July 2024, West Yorkshire Police said
Four members of the same family, including two children, and a married couple on a motorcycle were killed in the crash on the A61, near the village of Mapplewell, Barnsley.
Shane Roller, 33, his partner Shannen Morgan, 30, and their daughters, Rubie and Lillie Morgan-Roller, aged nine and four, died when their Ford Focus car was in collision with the motorbike.
Mr Roller and Ms Morgan had a third daughter who was not in the car.
Their surviving daughter has been described as "bright and resilient", and as having an "infectious smile and a kind heart".
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help the now-orphaned girl with her educational and emotional support and has raised more than £400,000 at the time of writing.
Following the crash, Athersley North Primary School in Barnsley piad tribute to her sisters, describing Rubie as a "kind, happy and caring girl" who aspired to be a teacher.
The school said Lillie was a "bright, bubbly and happy little girl who was a popular member of her class".
A married couple on the BMW S100 XR motorbike – Christopher Barton, 56, and Janine Barton, 48 – also died in the same crash.
In a tribute issued in 2024, their son described his parents as "a loving, caring mum and dad who always put me before everything else".
Footage of the fatal accident showed a burnt-out vehicle and a heavy police presence on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley.
West Yorkshire Police said the crash was an "absolutely tragic incident" and asked witnesses to come forward with dashcam footage amid its probe.
Cockell is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on October 28.