By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-21 22:20:52 | Updated at 2026-09-21 22:59:02
1 hour ago
A 50-year-old man has been charged with causing the deaths of six people in a road collision that claimed the lives of a family of four and a married couple.
Christopher Cockell, of Gresford Close, Woolley Grange, is accused of six counts of causing death by dangerous driving following the crash on the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield in July 2024.
He is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on October 28.
The collision happened at around 3pm on July 21, on the single-carriageway section of the A61 between Staincross and Newmillerdam.
Shane Roller, 33, was driving a silver Ford Focus carrying his partner, Shannen Morgan, and their two young daughters, Rubie, nine, and four-year-old Lillie. All four died in the crash.
Christopher Barton, 56, and his wife Janine, 48, were travelling on a BMW motorcycle and also lost their lives.
An inquest at Wakefield Coroner's Court previously heard that the motorcycle had been overtaking another vehicle when it collided head-on with the Ford Focus on the 50mph road.
The impact caused the car to spin towards the roadside, where it caught fire.
The collision happened at around 3pm on July 21, on the single-carriageway section of the A61
PA
Emergency crews were unable to free its occupants and all four were pronounced dead at the scene.
A provisional post-mortem examination found Mr Barton had suffered fatal head and chest injuries.
Meanwhile, Mrs Barton was launched onto a nearby golf course during the crash and died from chest injuries, the inquest heard.
The deaths devastated two families and prompted tributes from relatives, friends and members of the local community.
Mr Roller and Ms Morgan, who lived in Athersley, Barnsley, had three children. Their eldest daughter, aged 11, was not travelling in the car when the collision occurred.
A fundraising appeal established by a family friend following the tragedy raised more than £400,000 to support her.
In a tribute shared on social media, Mr Roller's father, Graham, described his son as a devoted father with a "heart of gold" and said Ms Morgan had been a much-loved mother.
Rubie and Lillie had attended Athersley North Primary School. The school's co-head teachers, Clare Storr and Kirsty Wordsworth, said the sisters had been a pleasure to teach and praised their parents for their support.
A fundraising appeal established by a family friend following the tragedy raised more than £400,000 to support the survived daughter
PA
Mr and Mrs Barton, who had lived in Barnsley, had recently marked their 25th wedding anniversary. Their son described them in a tribute released by West Yorkshire Police as loving and caring parents who consistently put his needs first.
West Yorkshire Police said Cockell was summonsed to court after an investigation by the force's Major Collision Enquiry Team.
He was already facing a separate allegation of failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
The latest charges relate specifically to the six deaths resulting from the A61 crash.
