Man charged over dangerous driving crash that killed six, including two children

Police have charged 50-year-old Christopher Cockell, of Woolley Grange, with six counts of causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal collision on the A61 road between Barnsley and Wakefield on 21 July 2024.

The crash killed six people: Shannen Morgan and Shane Roller, along with two of their daughters, nine-year-old Rubie and four-year-old Lillie. Also killed were married couple Christopher and Janine Barton of Barnsley, who were travelling together on a motorcycle.

Cockell is scheduled to appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 28 October.

How the crash happened

An earlier inquest heard that a silver Ford Focus driven by 33-year-old Roller collided head-on with a BMW motorcycle driven by 56-year-old Barton at around 15:50 local time, on a stretch of road between Staincross and Newmillerdam. The collision occurred as the motorcycle was overtaking another vehicle on the single-carriageway road, which has a 50mph (80km/h) speed limit.

The inquest was told that the impact spun the car to the side of the road, where it caught fire, and rescuers were unable to free any of the occupants — all four were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Morgan and Roller, who lived in Athersley, Barnsley, had another daughter, aged 11, who was not in the car at the time of the crash. A fundraising page set up by a family friend after the tragedy has since raised more than £400,000 for her.