Man charged with causing death by dangerous driving over crash that killed 6
Four members of the same family and a married couple on a motorbike died in the 2024 collision.
Christopher Cockell, 50, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a crash that killed six people, including two children, on the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield on 21 July 2024. The victims were Shannen Morgan, 34, Shane Roller, 33, Christopher and Janine Barton, both 56, and Rubie and Lillie Roller, aged nine and four respectively.
Christopher and Janine Barton were travelling on a motorcycle, while Mr Roller and Mr Cockell were both driving the respective cars when the collision occurred. An inquest revealed that the silver Ford Focus driven by Mr Roller collided head-on with the BMW motorcycle driven by Mr Barton around 15:50 BST between Staincross and Newmillerdam.
The family of Mr Roller, who lived in Athersley, Barnsley, had a daughter who was not present during the crash. A fundraising page set up by a family friend raised over £400,000 for Shannen Morgan. Mr Roller's father, Graham, paid tribute to the couple, describing them as an amazing mum and dad.
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