A 50-year-old man has been charged with six counts of causing death by dangerous driving after a collision that killed four members of the same family and a married couple in West Yorkshire.

Christopher Cockell, of Gresford Close, Woolley Grange, is scheduled to appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 28 October. West Yorkshire Police confirmed the summons following an investigation by the force's Major Collision Enquiry Team.

The crash happened on 21 July 2024 along the A61 between Barnsley and Wakefield. It claimed the lives of Shane Roller, 33, his partner Shannen Morgan, and two of their young daughters, nine-year-old Rubie and four-year-old Lillie.

Christopher Barton, 56, and his wife Janine Barton, 48, also died. The couple, who lived in Barnsley, were travelling together on a BMW motorcycle when the collision took place.

Details of the incident were previously heard during proceedings at Wakefield Coroner's Court. The inquest was told that a silver Ford Focus driven by Mr Roller collided head-on with Mr Barton's motorcycle at around 15:50 BST on a stretch of road between Staincross and Newmillerdam.

The court heard the collision occurred as the motorcycle was overtaking another vehicle on the single-carriageway road, which had a 50mph speed limit. Coroner's support officer Phil Marr told the hearing: "As a result of a head-on impact, the car was spun to the side of the road, where it caught fire. It was not possible to release any of the occupants and all four were pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene."

A pathologist concluded Mr Barton's provisional cause of death was head and chest injuries. Phil Marr told the hearing that Mrs Barton was thrown onto an adjacent golf course during the impact, with her death resulting from chest injuries.

Mr Roller, who worked as a van driver, and Ms Morgan lived in Athersley, Barnsley. The couple had another daughter, aged 11, who was not with the family at the time of the crash. An online fundraising campaign set up by a family friend later raised more than £400,000 for her.

In a social media tribute at the time, Mr Roller's father, Graham, described the pair as an "amazing" mum and dad, adding: "Shannen, our daughter-in-law, was funny and was also an amazing mum and they thought the world of their little family."

Tributes were also paid by Clare Storr and Kirsty Wordsworth, co-head teachers at Athersley North Primary School, who said Rubie and Lillie had been "a delight to teach" and "a credit to their parents". Mr and Mrs Barton had recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and their son described them in a police statement as "a loving, caring mum and dad who always put me before everything else".

Alongside the six dangerous driving charges, police confirmed Mr Cockell had already been facing a charge of failing to stop at the scene of a collision.

I'll be following this case as it progresses through the court system — check back for updates.