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For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Leah was on a date with boyfriend Joe Pugh, 18, when the accident happened, The teen's left leg was so badly crushed doctors amputated it below the knee, Those on the ride suffered injuries all over their bodies - here a badly cut finger is stitched up, A bloodied finger is pictured here as victims suffered horrific injuries in the crash, Leah's leg was left badly crushed and doctors were forced to amputate below the knee, Leah was speaking to Channel 5's documentary Where Theres Blame, Theres a Claim, Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, which owns Alton Towers, reopened the Smiler rollercoaster after several months despite the horrific incident, Brave Leah said: 'I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. The beautician wore a gorgeous floor-length plunge white gown that was altered so she could comfortably walk down the aisle whilst using her prosthetic leg. Engineers then overrode a fault which had been detected by the computer system andsent the ride crashing into an empty carriage with the force of a '90mph car crash'. People ask if Im happy with it and its difficult to answer. The students have apologised for causing any offence, Joe Pugh (second from right) and his girlfriend Leah Washington (second from left) have both tweeted about the fancy dress outfits, Leah Washington, whose leg was amputated, tweeted at the same time as her boyfriend Joe Pugh, The students wore homemade rollercoaster seats strapped to their backs, Alton Towers operator Merlin was fined 5m, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Mbappe breaks PSG goal record in win over Nantes, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over. Thirteen-year-old April was last seen in Whitchurch at about 5.00 pm yesterday (March 3). View our online Press Pack. Vicky was excited to speak about her wedding, saying: We are getting married in Italy, an intimate ceremony with friends and family. Two women who lost legs after a crash on a ride at Alton Towers are suing the park's owners, their lawyers have said. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. Now Jeremy Hunt must give us a Budget to boost Britain, Leicester 'explosion': Listen to massive 'sonic' boom that shook homes and rattled windows. What science tells us about the afterlife. Stock in the FTSE-100 firm dropped 3.46% to 444.3p a share. Prosecutors revealed the weather should have shut down the ride and engineers were ill-equipped to deal with the aftermath. Do you know this baby? ': Conservatives blast fellow Republican Matt Schlapp after the CPAC organizer suggested transgender swimmer Lia Thomas 'deserves our compassion', Trump asked Bill Barr 'what the hell were those cops thinking' when they killed George Floyd, said Eric Garner's death looked 'pretty bad' and Ahmaud Arbery's murder was 'ugly', former AG claims in new book, Donald Trump's personal attorney claims thieves broke into her parked car looking to steal former president's confidential files as CCTV shows suspects zooming past his Bedminster golf club before targeting her vehicle, New deal, old flame! By Martin Robinson, Uk Chief Reporter For Mailonline, Published: 05:33 EST, 26 September 2016 | Updated: 15:25 EST, 26 September 2016. Leah's leg was later amputated and Joe had shattered knees. Latest news and stories from the West Midlands, "catastrophic failure and a "needless and avoidable accident in which those who were injured were lucky not to be killed.". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 'The problem was that the head-wind which that train could not overcome. "In the meantime, interim payments and other support have been provided to aid Vickys rehabilitation.". Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Daniel Thorpe, 27, from Buxton in Derbyshire, was treated for a collapsed lung and lower leg injuries. The pair both feature in a new Channel 5 series, Where Theres Blame Theres A Claim, which examines compensation cases. The documentary also features 57-year-old security worker Ivan Martin who battled to receive compensation from West Midlands Police for twice being wrongly arrested. Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. The women are suing Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd for negligence and or breach of statutory duty. The investigation also identified areas where protocols and the training of employees should be improved. Leah Washington, 18, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and Vicky Balch, 20, from Leyland, Lancashire, were both forced to undergo leg amputations as a result of the horror crash. Leah, 17 had just left school and had only been going out with Joe, 18, for four days when they had a day out at the Staffordshire theme park two years ago. Anna Wiseman, Senior Associate at Stewarts who represented Vicky Balch in the legal claim said: No amount of money will ever be able to replace what Vicky has lost. However, he added that although there had been 'a number of human errors', the 'fault here is with the employers', and not individuals. Russia announces new ceasefire and 'humanitarian corridors' for fleeing civilians in FIVE cities from Wednesday morning - but will Putin's troops stop firing? Joe Pugh, 18, also from Barnsley and Daniel Thorpe, 28, from Buxton, Derbyshire, also suffered serious leg injuries, along with 49-year-old Chandaben Chauhan. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Miss Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, and Miss Washington, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, needed partial leg amputations after the crash. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? The pair then began planning their special day and Vicky admitted she would be using the payout money to fund her dream wedding. Opening the case, barrister Bernard Thorogood said the kinetic energy involved in the crash on June 2 2015 was equivalent to 'a family car of 1.5 tons having collided at about 90mph'. Their front carriage on The Smiler rollercoaster hit a broken-down carriage on the track with the force of a 90 mph car crash. 'There was no single member of technical service staff in control,' Mr Thorogood said. And Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout for her injuries. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Smiler crash victim Joe Pugh and girlfriend Leah Washington, who had her leg amputated, tweeted their "disgust". Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? I'm so happy and excited for the rest of our lives together,' she told the Mirrorat the time. But Leah, from Barnsley, South Yorks., says she is still waiting for final damages to be paid out. "Furthermore the company has regular direct contact with those seriously injured and continues to provide help and support wherever we can.". Passengers had to be cut free from wreckage and airlifted to hospital after carriage carrying 16 passengers collided with empty one 2023 BBC. Do you know this baby? But the company has been criticised for putting profits over people and keeping the ride open even in the face of the appalling injuries sustained on it. The Staffordshire theme park owner has already admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act, and was fined 5m in September 2016. Another Twitter user posted a video appearing to show a third air ambulance arriving at the amusement park. An arctic maritime airmass will sweep across the UK from Monday, Harry Potter star supports JK Rowling and wishes people would 'just listen', Evanna Lynch, who is best known for her role as Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter, has defended the author JK Rowling following her controversial comments in 2020, National Lottery results draw LIVE: Winning Lotto numbers on Saturday, March 4, Child Benefit payments to increase from next month - here are the new weekly rates and all the details. She sometimes says thanks when I dont even notice Ive done anything extra. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Ben Richardson, who posted pictures on Twitter of the crashed rollercoaster, told the BBC the collision sounded like car crash it was very full on. People hear Ive got money and think it must be like winning the lottery. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". The 26-year-old beautician, from Preston, Lancashire,married Dino Manciocchi, 27, in her hometown on Saturday in front of their friends and family, and the couple'sseven-month-old son Venanzio. When the wedding was put off last year, the couplestarted trying for a baby, andthree months after coming off the pill they conceived. There were 'near gale' wind speeds of 46mph on day of crash - but Smiler should not run at more than 34mph. Dino also spoke to Mirror Online about their relationship and his role in keeping Vicky's spirits up. Something went wrong, please try again later. Students who dressed up as a rollercoaster and called themselves the "7 legless" have apologised to victims of the Alton Towers crash. "I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. There were found to be no technical or mechanical problems with the ride itself.. They described the aftermath as being like something out of a "horror movie. Stock in the FTSE-100 firm dropped 3.46% to 444.3p a share after opening this morning at 462.6p a share. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The comments below have been moderated in advance. The 18m Smiler ride, described as the worlds first 14-looping rollercoaster on its official website, opened in May 2013. Merlin said it was "on standby to conclude settlement discussions on the outstanding claims as soon as they are ready". 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Passengers had to be cut free from wreckage and airlifted to hospital after carriage carrying 16 passengers collided with empty one. The trapped ridegoers then had to wait more than four hours to be freed from the crumpled carriage while rescue workers battled to reach them as they sat 25ft up in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees, pinned in by the mangled metal. "Its design was based on a traditional concept that has existed for several years and no reference was made to the Smiler by the students involved. does not see the point in being angry about what happened. The pair, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, were among 16 people hurt in the crash, five of them seriously, when two carriages on the ride collided in June that year. The University of Nottingham said it had "liaised closely" with the students' union since it became aware of the conduct of those attending the event. It added that Alton Towers had introduced a number of new safety measures across all its multi-car rollercoasters since the accident. Now we can focus fully on that.. Joe says: We had the attitude of were alive, but our parents told us we needed the money to set us up for the future., And on learning that his claim has been settled for a confidential amount of at least six figures, he said: Its a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, a lot of stress has been taken away and it feels like I can finally move on and get on with my life.. ', Fleet of buses enters Mariupol to evacuate citizens, Aftermath: These are the damaged Smiler carriages, which show how the ride buckled with the force of the collision, Shocking past: The major crash on the Smiler in June 2015 (pictured) in which five people were seriously injured, Rescue: The victims were stuck for up to four hours, some were left unconscious by the crash and lost significant amounts of blood. 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'I had no idea he was going to propose and couldn't believe it when he asked me. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". What normal 24-year-old has to think about any of that? Alton Towers owner, Merlin Entertainments, saw its share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. @altontowers not what I expected to see today.. 2 carriage crashed into each other on the Smiler!!! Alton Towers operator Merlin was fined 5m after admitting breaching the Health and Safety Act. Emergency services were still attempting to free the last of the trapped passengers four hours after the incident, using a specially constructed platform to reach the carriage. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The collision on the two-year-old attraction occurred when one carriage containing 16 visitors collided with an empty one on a low section of the track. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? An independent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive is ongoing. He said: 'The staff had come to distrust at that stage the fault signal on occasions and hence they thought that the one that was showing was an error. Judge says disaster aggravated by difficulties emergency services had getting to victims left in mangled ride for almost four hours, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Guardian's Allowance weekly payments are also rising in April. She told ITV: Id like it to be, but I know thats not realistic because it was a big attraction for the company. Washington has said she feared she would die in the moments after the crash when she looked down and saw metal bars protruding into her legs. Im slowly getting that back, but life is never going to be the same as it used to be.. Joe Pugh, 18, a student at Huddersfield University, and his girlfriend Leah Washington were among the victims. There has been a series of incidents on the ride since it opened in May 2013. Joe Pugh, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire tweeted: "How awful and disrespectful can people get? 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Alton Towers owner fined 5m over Smiler rollercaster crash, Alton Towers owner pleads guilty over Smiler rollercoaster crash, Alton Towers crash victim says bionic leg has transformed her life, Alton Towers Smiler crash footage released for first time, Alton Towers ride reopens despite protests, Alton Towers Smiler ride crash caused by human error, theme park says, Moment of Alton Towers Smiler crash CCTV video, Alton Towers crash victim learns to walk again on prosthetic leg video, Alton Towers crash victim says amputation was a relief, Alton Towers Smiler ride victims meet 'amazing' rescuers at ceremony. A woman who lost her leg in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers has received a multi-million pound payout four years on. Then we were queueing up for another rollercoaster and an air ambulance flew over and news started filtering through and all the Alton Towers staff were evacuating the area.. Leah Washington and her boyfriend Joe . Experts reckon the final figure could run into millions. In its investigation, the safety watchdog found that a 'near-gale' may have been to blame for the empty carriage failing to clear the Cobra Loop in the first place, following an early problem with one of the ride's lifts. Others hurt included Vicky Balch, 20, from Lancashire, who had six rounds of surgery in a bid to save her leg before needing an amputation. But Leah added: "Its not going to bring back my leg, its not going to bring back the life I had before. Merlin said it was "on standby to conclude settlement discussions on the outstanding claims as soon as they are ready". Leah Washington (left) and Vicky Balch were both badly injured on the ride. Jamie Bamber plays Archie Hughes in Beyond Paradise on BBC One. Sixteen people were injured when their carriage collided with an empty one on a low section of the ride, which can reach speeds of up to 50mph. One person, 23-year-old Orlando Rodriguez, died at the scene of the crash on April 2, 2022. He added that he had read all the victim impact statements. Good luck to all the teenagers involved. 'Although I've been through a lot, I wouldn't change what happened because I probably wouldn't have Dino or Vinnie. Judge Michael Chambers QC described the accident as a "catastrophic failure" and said it was entirely avoidable. #altontowers For saying it's only technical issues, this is the third air ambulance to land.. Oh dear Alton Towers. The theme park's operator Merlin has been warned to expect a 'very large fine' for health and safety breaches. Victims who lost limbs, broke bones and suffered internal injuries in the disaster relieved their ordeal as they faced the theme park's bosses at Stafford Crown Court today. Ian Crabbe, Alton Towers divisional director, said in a statement: May I first say that my colleagues and I are devastated by what has happened here today, and our only priority at this time is to work with the emergency services to get the 16 people affected off the ride safely, and most importantly those who are injured are being cared for. After that, we didnt really know what it was, then it started filtering through that something bad had happened. No amount will give me my leg back or the life I would have had.. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Mr Antrobus turned to confer with Mr Varney before replying: 'No. Lawyers said Meera Chauhan, 52, and her daughter Vanisha Singh, 33, from Walsall, who were also injured in the crash, were preparing their own legal battle. Vicky Balch, 23, and Leah Washington, 20, were in the front seats of the. ALTON Towers Smiler crash victim Vicky Balch has married her fianc in an "emotional" wedding ceremony six years after losing her leg. Indicating a guilty plea to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, Merlin's barrister told the previous hearing that the company accepted additional measures could have been taken to guard against safety risks. She doesnt deserve this and we dont want to go through life watching her struggle., Legal expert Deborah Saini comments: There were failings on the part of Alton Towers and that means they can claim compensation. The Smiler rollercoaster has been closed since June last year after a crash injured 16 people. Alton Towers owner Merlin Entertainments said: "We are pleased to have reached a settlement with Vicky and we wish her the very best for her wedding. It faces a multi-million pound fine and potentially millions more in compensation claims from the victims following a Health and Safety Executive prosecution.