The men and women, some of whom could have been killed, faced the theme park's bosses who were told they could face a 10million fine - plus compensation to its victims - for the disaster on June 2, 2015. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. What science tells us about the afterlife. I would like to thank them for all their support over the past 2 years., We pay for your stories! An independent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive is ongoing. 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, 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, Alton Towers: footage of ride seconds after crash - video, Alton Towers crash victim Leah Washington feared she would die on the Smiler. He said a test carriage had been sent around the 14-loop ride, but had failed - known as 'valley-ing' - in the bottom-most part of the Cobra Roll area of the ride, unseen by ride staff. , updated After an investigation, authorities arrested Rogel Hernandez-Reyes, a 27-year-old man from Maryland. I need to go to the same physio my entire life, the same appointments my entire life. News & Announcements Loudoun County, VA CivicEngage Vicky was one of 16 injured when the Smiler ride hit an empty carriage on the tracks in June 2015. The pair then began planning their special day and Vicky admitted she would be using the payout money to fund her dream wedding. I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. 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. "Vickys determination, courage and excellent approach to the tough challenges she has faced since the accident has been inspiring, she has a fantastic nature and with her forthcoming wedding is proof that life goes on after serious injury.. 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. A VICTIM of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash told how she's living in agony and has been left constantly aching two years on from losing a leg in the smash. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". This is the horrifying momentThe Smiler crashedat Alton Towers leaving 16 injured including two young women who later had legs amputated in the worst British rollercoaster crash for years. "Whilst money cannot make up for what they have endured over the past three years, financial security can at least help the victims to lead a full and active life. Its not really a life, but it's something I'll have to live with', Leah says she is struggling with her training course because of her disability, Judge Michael Chambers QC described the accident Leah went through as a 'catastrophic failure', Alton Towers has only made interim payments to cover Leah's medical and physio bills - but the full compensation figure is still being assessed, Emergency services raced to the scene, which saw two victims lose a leg, Firefighters and emergency workers free passengers from the Smiler ride, Alton Towers victim Leah Washington shares pictures of her horror injuries as she reveals Im living in agony, Putin's thugs close in on ravaged Ukrainian city with thousands fleeing as intense fighting rages, Partygate buster Sue Gray's son 'boasting about mum on campaign trail as he tries to unseat Boris Johnson', Suella Braverman vows to stop the boats with new law to crack down on migrants using human rights laws to stay in UK, Runaway mum Constance Marten was 'groomed' by evil Nigerian sect leader, Man 'naked and covered in blood' arrested before mum found 'murdered' at home as neighbours reveal hearing screams, Rishi Sunaks new bill to end the Channel migrant crisis is crucial for the Tories, Right, Brexits done. The Staffordshire theme park owner has already admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act, and was fined 5m in September 2016. The dress helped me decide on a theme its very fairytale. The court was told the victims of the Smiler crash were held at a 'very difficult angle' as the two trains on the ride 'meshed together'. The court also heard engineers should have seen the empty carriage which was visible on CCTV cameras covering the track. A couple seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have announced their engagement. Two women who lost legs after a crash on a ride at Alton Towers are suing the park's owners, their lawyers have said. Alton Towers crash victim Vicky Balch marries fianc in 'emotional Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. Alton Towers Smiler crash victims Leah Washington and Joe Pugh reveal When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? pic.twitter.com/aX8mBDaX7K. The 24-year-old was told about the pay-out last week when Merlin, owners of the Staffordshire theme park, agreed to settle her claim. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 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. Passengers were left trapped more than 20 feet from the ground at an angle of about 45 degrees before they were eventually freed by emergency workers and stretchered away. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Stock in the FTSE-100 firm dropped 3.46% to 444.3p a share after opening this morning at 462.6p a share. Leah was on a date with boyfriend Joe Pugh, 18, when the accident happened. Ive got my wedding dress. The Smiler ride at Alton Towers Read More Related Articles. "The university expects to receive a full report from the SU on the conduct of the event on 17 October and the future of the event itself.". Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Mark Gordon arrives at Crawley Police Station after remains found, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Martin Robinson, Uk Chief Reporter For Mailonline, Do not sell or share my personal information. Alton Towers amputee Vicky Balch has married her fiance in an 'emotional' ceremony six years after she lost her leg in a horrific accident on the theme park's Smiler ride. Alton Towers Smiler ride crash victims sue park's owners The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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.". She received thousands of likes and wrote: "So this happened yesterday I SAID YES. I still dont really understand.". Joe suffered shattered kneecaps in the accident. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Joe tells the documentary: I could just see blood, bone and flesh splattered on the carriage in front., Leah says: I remember saying to you Will you hold my hand and you said I cant my fingers hanging off.. Alton Towers Smiler crash victims pay tribute to Drayton Manor schoolgirl; Joe tells the documentary: "I could just see blood, bone . Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Smiler crash, a rollercoaster collision which rocked the UK back in 2015. Victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash have received their first insurance payments. Mr Thorogood said some victims described the angle as 45 degrees, but accepted this was disputed. 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. Vicky Balch, 23, and Leah Washington, 20, were in the front seats of the Smiler ride which rammed into a stationary carriage in June 2015. ', The barrister, speaking for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which brought the prosecution, said: 'Engineers who came to remedy the situation, regarding the indicated block-stop, thought it was a false one reflecting a recently corrected issue and did not see the stalled train, and proceeded to re-set and re-start the ride, overriding the computer-generated block-stop.'. There were found to be no technical or mechanical problems with the ride itself.. He said: I just wanted to be there for her, taking her mind off things. Alton Towers Smiler crash Thrill-seekers left with devastating injuries All 16 people were eventually freed from the carriage. I have to be careful with the money, I have to plan how much I need to keep away for later life and care.. 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'. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Passengers had to be cut free from wreckage and airlifted to hospital after carriage carrying 16 passengers collided with empty one. Vicky said: I dont think Im ever going to get real closure. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Joe Pugh, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire tweeted: "How awful and disrespectful can people get? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. ", 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. In July 2013, 48 people were evacuated after witnesses saw a metal bar break away from the ride before landing near them, exposing a gap in the track and forcing another shutdown. Judge Michael Chambers QC described the accident as a "catastrophic failure" and said it was entirely avoidable. Beautician Vicky Balch was one of 16 people injured when an empty carriage was stranded on the track of ride Smiler back in June 2015. However due to the complex nature of Vickys case, it was not possible to reach a settlement until now. Alton Towers Smiler crash victim Vicky Balch gets multi-million pound Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. Disgusting.". "There are lots of meetings and specialists you have to see. Students who dressed up as a rollercoaster and called themselves the "7 legless" have apologised to victims of the Alton Towers crash. Mr Antrobus turned to confer with Mr Varney before replying: 'No. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The accident occurred just after 2pm and the evacuation of the ride was completed at 6.35pm, according to an Alton Towers spokeswoman. Im always aching.". Mr Thorogood said: 'One first empty train was sent to establish the lift was operating normally but, unknown to those present, this train failed to clear the loop - with which this case is unfortunately and sadly concerned. Box 7200, Leesburg, VA 20177 Vicky had to answer distressing questions such as how many children she hoped to have and how the injury would affect her life as part of the process. Its entirely possible that Leahs claim will run into millions., And Leah says: You cant put a price on losing a limb. He said there appeared to have been problems with the ride on Tuesday morning. share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. 'You're not on your own up there': Mother's heartbreaking Fighting for life: Distraught mother shares harrowing Court shown horrifying moment The Smiler crashed in worst rollercoaster disaster for years, Impact of packed ride smashing into an empty carriageequivalent to 'a family car of 1.5 tons having collided at about 90mph', Victims were 'suspended (in mid air) for several hours'and suffered 'very significant blood loss' leading to loss of limbs. A couple seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have announced their engagement. It has been closed twice before because of technical issues. The defendant is ultimately responsible for these errors though they were made by individuals.'. @altontowers not what I expected to see today.. 2 carriage crashed into each other on the Smiler!!! Its nothing like that. The Staffordshire theme park owner has already admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act, and was fined 5m in September 2016. Read about our approach to external linking. I hope I get it right. She told ITV: Id like it to be, but I know thats not realistic because it was a big attraction for the company. Theres ups and downs in any relationship and this makes ours a bit more complicated. My life as a wife and mum will be so different now. The Smiler ride itself, it was concluded, was 'well-designed' as were the computer and 'sophisticated' control systems, while the operator of the ride had followed safe working practices. Our concern is with and for them and for their safety, and all our thoughts and efforts are focused on them.. The engineers had re-set the ride and overridden a computer system 'block-stop' which they believed had halted the ride in error, sending a full 16-seater rollercoaster car around the track and into the empty carriage. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Something went wrong, please try again later. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Joe, who broke both kneecaps and had his little finger snapped off by The Smiler ride accident , has received an estimated 100,000 pay-off, while Leah Washington, whose left leg was badly crushed and amputated above the knee, should receive more than 2 million. What normal 24-year-old has to think about any of that? Read about our approach to external linking. The photos were taken by a reporter from student news site The Tab during a bar crawl called the "7 Legged" on Monday night. This is the horrifying moment The Smiler crashed at Alton Towers leaving 16 injured including two young women who later had legs amputated in the worst British rollercoaster crash for. 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. Merlin Entertainments said the ride would reopen next year after being closed since the crash in June. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Theme park owner Merlin admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act and was fined 5m in September 2016. Do you know this baby? Alton Towers owner, Merlin Entertainments, saw its share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. The investigation also identified areas where protocols and the training of employees should be improved. 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Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. Alton Towers' owner, Merlin Entertainments, saw its share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. A carriage containing 16 passengers crashed into an empty train that had stopped midway around the 14-loop ride. Each of the top of the range legs with a microprocessor knee joint can cost up to 80,000 and last about eight years. Incredibly it emerged that today staff running ride at Alton Towers had not read the ride's operating manual and then took 17 minutes to dial 999. 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. Victims of Alton Towers Smiler crash at court to hear punishment In November 2013, guide wheels fell off the ride and hit four people in the front carriage, once again forcing it to close. She told the Sunday Mirror: 'It will be very emotional and there will be lots of tears. Read about our approach to external linking. By Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). [3] Four people suffered serious leg injuries and were left suspended eight metres off the ground for several hours after a collision between two carriages on a rollercoaster at Alton Towers amusement park. They described the aftermath as being like something out of a "horror movie. The carriages collided so hard the two became meshed together, crushing the limbs of people in the front row and sending the ride swinging back-and-forth like a pendulum. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Vicky later gave birth to the couple's first child Venanzio back in Marchthrough an emergency C-Section. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Reunited: The Four Victims Of Alton Towers' 'The Smiler' Crash Pictured Im slowly getting that back, but life is never going to be the same as it used to be.. They could each receive "well in excess of 2m" in compensation if the High Court claim is successful. "I understand that complex claims like mine take a long time. ", Joe wrote on his Instagram page "What a great end to a long weekend in Venice SHE SAID YES". pic.twitter.com/6torYa0DzW. Alton Towers: four rollercoaster crash victims in hospital It has taken full responsibility for the incident and continues to co-operate with the ongoing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation. as being like something out of a "horror movie. EXCLUSIVE: The two young women could get around 2million each, according to . Revealed: How Alton Towers Smiler crash unfolded minute-by - mirror Alton Towers Smiler ride crash due to 'human error' - BBC News No one from Alton Towers has resigned as a result of The Smiler disaster, the court heard. 'Although I've been through a lot, I wouldn't change what happened because I probably wouldn't have Dino or Vinnie. When we went on, when we were queuing, it said: Weve got a couple of technical difficulties and then probably 10 or 15 minutes later the ride carried on. It was really stressful and depressing. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. 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. Two women who lost legs after a crash on a ride at Alton Towers are suing the park's owners, their lawyers have said. 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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. I was told the average life expectancy of someone with an amputation. Lawyer Paul Paxton said: "Our clients suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the accident. 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Staff - under pressure to keep the ride in almost constant use and offered bonuses to keep it running - had not even read the manual for the 18million rollercoaster. Alton Towers Smiler Victims Pictured Together For The First Time Since Crash; Modern World Driving Children to Despair. Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in 2015. It really was shocking. #altontowers For saying it's only technical issues, this is the third air ambulance to land.. Oh dear Alton Towers. Alton Towers Smiler crash victims Vicky Balch and Leah - mirror Witnesses posted pictures of the aftermath of the collision as people were evacuated from the rollercoaster. When the Smiler reopens, it will include new safety measures including additional CCTV cameras and an enhanced safety process requiring a senior member of staff to authorise the manual overrides that caused the Smiler crash. Alton Towers Smiler ride crash caused by human error, theme park says Vicky Balch is now going to focus on planning her wedding, Sign up to our free email alerts for the top Bristol Voices stories sent straight to your e-mail. People just standing around in bewilderment really.. does not see the point in being angry about what happened. It faces a multi-million pound fine and potentially millions more in compensation claims from the victims following a Health and Safety Executive prosecution. 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. Designer lookalike for a fraction of the cost. Workers at Italian shipyard believe mystery $700M vessel under extreme privacy measures has 'ties to the Russian leader' after European authorities raced to seize other ships owned by oligarchs in his inner circle. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The 18m Smiler ride, described as the worlds first 14-looping rollercoaster on its official website, opened in May 2013. We will wait for the recommendations and full findings based on the ongoing investigation these will be critical in ensuring that lessons are learned., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Do you know this baby? Merlin said it was "on standby to conclude settlement discussions on the outstanding claims as soon as they are ready". Credit: ITV News Central. Two women were transferred to the Royal Stoke University hospital and two men were taken to hospitals in Coventry and Warwickshire. 'There was no single member of technical service staff in control,' Mr Thorogood said. Vicky Balch, 23, and Leah Washington, 20, were in the front seats of the. 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