Plans for the future of an 11-year-old girl orphaned after a horrific car crash that killed four family members have been revealed

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Plans for the future of the 11-year-old girl orphaned after the horrific car crash that killed all four of her family have been revealed.

Poppie Roller, 11, is the only surviving member of her immediate family after Shannen Morgan, her partner Shane Roller and their other daughters Lillie and Rubie, aged nine and four, died in a collision on a country road in West Yorkshire on a Sunday afternoon.

Tributes have been paid to the “happy” young women after it is understood the family’s Ford Focus burst into flames following a crash with a motorbike on the A61 between Staincross in Barnsley and Newmillerdam in Wakefield at around 3.54pm.

Husband and wife Christopher Barton, 56, and Janine Barton, 48, have now been named as the motorcyclist and passenger who also died in the collision. The couple, who had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, were described by their son as “a loving and caring mother and father who always put me before everyone else”.

It comes as one shocked witness said The Independent the incident left her “terrified”. The 51-year-old woman, who wished to remain anonymous, described smelling burning and seeing smoke rising into the sky before seeing more huge fires as her car approached the scene. “It was quiet except for the burning, the crackling,” she said. “The car was a ball of fire… There was debris all over the road.”

A fundraiser for Poppie, who was not in the car but “lost her whole world in an instant”, had reached more than £272,000 by midday on Tuesday when organizers issued an update on the child for 11 years.

Family friend Paul Hepple said Poppie stayed with his family after the tragedy because she is best friends with his stepdaughter. However, he revealed that she will soon be living with her “loving and capable” aunt, who will become her new guardian.

Mr Hepple also revealed that donations to the fundraiser will go towards Poppie’s welfare, including living expenses, education and any counselling. He added that some of the funds could be used for funeral expenses for the 11-year-old’s family.

Expressing his gratitude for the “overwhelming” support from well-wishers, with more than 15,000 people now donating to the fundraiser, Mr Hepple wrote: “I want to assure you that every penny will go straight to Poppie’s new guardian , her aunt.

“Poppie will stay and live with her aunt, who is an amazing, loving and capable guardian. She will be entirely responsible for managing the donations, ensuring that all funds are used for Poppie’s well-being, including living expenses, education and any counseling she may need.

“Furthermore, a portion of the funds can be used for funeral expenses for Poppie’s family if they so wish.

“Thank you all again for your incredible generosity and support. Your contributions make a significant difference to Poppie’s life, giving her the stability and care she needs during this difficult time.”

It comes as staff at a primary school paid tribute to Poppie’s two sisters, praising them as ‘a delight to teach’.

Following the tragedy, Athersley North Primary School issued a statement saying: “It is with the deepest sadness that we hear the heartbreaking news about Rubie, Lillie and their parents. So many people in our communities will feel this devastating, tragic loss.

“Rubie was a kind, happy and caring girl with a wonderful personality. She always worked hard and was well liked by her friends. He was a fantastic role model for his peers and aspired to be a teacher.

“Lillie was a bright, bubbly and happy little girl who was a popular member of her class. She was creative and very determined. Like her older sister, she also aspired to be a teacher.

“Both girls have been an asset to the school and a delight to teach. They were a much-loved part of the school community and their loss is a devastating blow to all who knew them.

“The girls have been a credit to their parents who have always been incredibly supportive and will be greatly missed.

“Our sincere thoughts are with their sister and her family at this incredibly sad time.”

“Heartbroken” and shocked family members took to social media to pay tribute to their loved ones who they said “all had a heart of gold”.

Roller’s brother Callum wrote on Facebook on Sunday: “I am heartbroken. I will miss you all! It absolutely broke my heart and it’s absolutely broken both sides of (the family)! You all had a heart of gold and (will) be missed madly! My heart goes out to Shannen’s family and mine! We are all in absolute shock.”

Jamie Phillips, who was among those who left flowers at the scene, said BBC he was friends with Mr. Roller. “He was a normal, hard-working boy…a nice kid, always smiling. He was cheerful and loved his family,” Phillips said, adding: “I couldn’t sleep all night knowing what happened … Barnsley is only small so it’s going to affect quite a few people.”

Photos from the scene show the badly damaged road and a burnt, blackened and mangled car on a grass verge. Debris can be seen scattered across the road near the crashed vehicle.

Speaking to reporters at the scene on Monday, Superintendent Alan Travis of the Wakefield District Police described the incident as “truly horrific”, involving a “devastating loss of life”. He said: “My heart goes out to the loved ones who have lost loved ones in this incident.”

He thanked the police, fire and ambulance crews who worked at the scene, saying: “This was obviously an extremely tragic incident.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 quoting reference 1157 of 21/7.