While a 21-year-old man was vacationing in Thailand, he received the horrible news that his parents were killed in a ghastly traffic accident.
Christopher Barton, 56, and his wife Janine, 48, died instantaneously in a collision with a car carrying a family of four. The automobile caught fire after the impact, killing all of the passengers. The crash happened near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, on Sunday afternoon on the A61.
The 21-year-old son of Barnsley residents Mr. and Mrs. Barton flew home as soon as he received the news.
Shane Roller, 33, and Shannen Morgan, 30, as well as their kids, Rubie, 9, and Lillie, 4, all died on the spot. Poppie, 11, the oldest daughter, was staying with friends and is now an orphan. A GoFundMe page set up in her honor has garnered £320,000 so far.
Margaret, an 87-year-old neighbor, described Shane and Shannen as a couple who “loved life” and were “always laughing” and worked themselves to the bone.
A friend of the Roller family who created the online fundraiser, Paul Hepple, who is also from Barnsley, has confirmed that Poppie’s aunt will take her in and care for her permanently.
Citing the need to make Poppie’s life as normal as possible, a relative has implored people “not to lay flowers” at Shane and Shannen’s door, adding that the request is made with profound gratitude and kindness.
A neighbor remarked how her heart hurts just thinking about the tragedy. She went on to say that her kids “adored” spending time with the kids and that Lillie became like a “little girlfriend” to one of her sons. She expressed her hopes and prayers that their lone surviving daughter would find a way to get through this.
According to Junior Tykes FC’s Paul Gorner, the family had been attending a match involving one of their daughters the day before the mishap. He mentioned that the group was now planning to host a tournament or match to help generate money for the girl.
Teachers at Rubie and Lillie’s elementary school, Athersley North Primary, Clare Storr, and Kirsty Wordsworth, praised the girls in a joint statement, calling them “a delight to teach.”
