Fundraiser for girl orphaned by crash tops £400k

Shane Roller and his partner Shannen Morgan were killed alongside two of their daughters Rubie, nine, and Lillie, four

More than £400,000 has been raised to support an 11-year-old girl whose parents and two sisters died in a crash.

Shane Roller, his partner Shannen Morgan and their daughters Rubie, nine, and Lillie, four, died in a collision on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley in July.

In response to the tragedy, a fundraiser was set up for the couple's third daughter, who was not with them at the time of the crash.

Organisers closed the collection on Friday and thanked donors for their "remarkable" generosity which had brought "light during a very dark time".

The family, from Athersley, near Barnsley, were killed when their Ford Focus collided with a motorcycle on 21 July.

Christopher and Janine Barton, who were both travelling on the motorcycle, also died in the crash.

A GoFundMe page was set up by Paul Hepple, initially to support Mr Roller's and Ms Morgan's daughter with any "immediate needs".

However, funds kept pouring in, with more than 22,000 people donating to the cause before the page closed.

Writing on GoFundMe, Mr Hepple said the £408,000 raised would now be transferred into a trust fund for the girl, who was "doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances".

He added: "Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your continued kindness, patience, and support.

"Your generosity has not only secured her future but has also brought light during a very dark time."

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