A 50-year-old man has been charged with six counts of causing death by dangerous driving following a collision that claimed the lives of six people, among them two young children.
The fatal crash occurred on 21 July 2024 on the A61 between Staincross and Newmillerdam, in the area between Barnsley and Wakefield. Shannen Morgan and Shane Roller, along with their daughters Rubie, aged nine, and Lillie, aged four, were travelling in a silver Ford Focus when it collided head-on with a BMW motorcycle at approximately 15:50 BST. Christopher Barton, 56, who was riding the motorcycle, and his wife Janine Barton, also from Barnsley, were both killed in the impact.
Christopher Cockell, 50, is scheduled to appear before Leeds Magistrates' Court on 28 October to face the charges. According to an inquest hearing, the Ford Focus driven by Mr Roller, 33, struck the motorcycle being operated by Mr Barton in a head-on collision.
Mr Roller and Ms Morgan, who were residents of Athersley in Barnsley, had a third daughter aged 11 who was not present in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Following the tragedy, a fundraising campaign was launched by a family friend, which accumulated more than £400,000 to support the surviving child.
What happens next?
Mr Cockell's court appearance on 28 October will mark the formal presentation of charges in the case. The proceedings will determine whether the matter advances to a higher court for trial.
