Orphan girl has ‘years of help’ as A61 crash GoFundMe raises £200,000

An 11-year-old girl whose entire family died in a crash involving a car and motorbike will have financial support for “the next few years”, the organizer of an online fundraiser has said.

Shane Roller, 33, his partner Shannen Morgan, 30, and their daughters Rubie and Lillie Morgan-Roller, aged nine and four, died in the incident on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley, Sunday afternoon.

The couple’s eldest daughter Poppie, 11, was playing at a friend’s house at the time of the accident after deciding not to go out with them.

When they were returning from the walk, the family’s car was involved in a collision with the motorcycle.

Watch: Police confirm six dead in ‘tragic’ Wakefield crash

A man and a woman on the motorbike also died at the scene, but West Yorkshire Police say they are yet to name them.

The family were traveling in a Ford Focus which was believed to have burst into flames following the collision with the motorcycle, which happened at 3.54pm.

Poppie was playing at her best friend’s house, whose stepdad Paul Hepple, 37, agreed to look after her after receiving a call from her mother, Shannen, telling her that he doesn’t want to go for a walk.

Hepple, a software developer who lives in the same area of ​​Barnsley as the family, set up a GoFundMe page for Poppie, which has now raised more than £215,000.

Asked if he expected so many donations to come in, Hepple told Yahoo News UK: “Not at all. Obviously, this is such a tragic, tragic event that happened, and I think it’s just a bunch of people with a heart.

“I originally set out to get some money for Poppie to support her, but now she’s gone crazy. Now, they’re enough to get you through, you know, at least the next few years.”

Father-of-four Hepple said they were sitting down for Sunday dinner when his aunt Poppie, who was also there, received an emergency call.

Hepple’s girlfriend had known Shannen since they were children, he said, and would see the family at the children’s birthday parties.

“We had family events and gatherings together for quite a long time,” he said.

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“They are very nice people, like most people, very kind, they will always show up at parties.

“We have kids too, so there were lots of events and parties for the kids that everyone got together and enjoyed.”

He described them as a “really loving family”, adding: “They loved each other and all their friends.”

In an update on the GoFundMe page Tuesday morning, Hepple said Poppie is best friends with his stepdaughter and has stayed with them since the accident. He said “every penny” of the donations will go straight to Poppie’s aunt, her new guardian.

On the GoFundMe page, Support For Poppie, Hepple emphasized that the donations will be used to cover Poppie’s future living, education, emotional support and care expenses.

He intended to provide regular updates on the fundraising page, saying: “They obviously have an interest in Poppie’s welfare, that’s why they donated in the first place.

“So knowing what the money is being spent on – a nice day for Poppie or something – I’m sure people would want to know that.”

On the GoFundMe page, Hepple wrote: “At just 11 years old, Poppie lost her whole world in an instant.

“Despite her unimaginable loss, she shows incredible strength every day. She loves soccer and playing outdoors. Poppie is also a huge fan of Taylor Swift and finds comfort in her music.”

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