The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Two women - Victoria Balch and Leah Washington - had. Two women who lost legs after a crash on a ride at Alton Towers are suing the park's owners, their lawyers have said. as being like something out of a "horror movie. 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. Passengers had to be cut free from wreckage and airlifted to hospital after carriage carrying 16 passengers collided with empty one. ", 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. Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. The Smiler ride at Alton Towers Read More Related Articles. What science tells us about the afterlife. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. We are confident that lessons have been learned and that appropriate action has been taken to address all the issues raised by our investigation and we believe our core conclusions will be in line with the HSE findings., Paul Paxton, a partner at the law firm Stewarts Law, which is acting for Pugh, Washington and Balch, said it was too early to comment until the conclusion of the HSE investigation. Loudoun County Sheriff's Office 803 Sycolin Road SE Leesburg, VA 20175 Phone: 703-777-0407 Fax: 703-771-5744 Mailing Address P.O. Theme park owner Merlin admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act and was fined 5m in September 2016. Leah Washington (left) and Vicky Balch were both badly injured on the ride. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk, Alton Towers crash victims sue 'for 2m', Cash machine fraudsters target Staffordshire banks, Cold weather warning for possible snow showers, Man jailed following fatal hit and run which killed 'devoted mother' in Crewe, Council working on new tree planting policy amid claims existing rules preventing highways planting, Major bus operator announces it will 'step in and cover' Arriva services, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Inside the enclave surrounded by pro-Russia forces, China looks at reforms to deepen Xi's control, 'The nurses wanted me to feel guilty about my abortion, From Afghan TV fame to a US factory floor. "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. No amount will give me my leg back or the life I would have had.. Jamie Bamber plays Archie Hughes in Beyond Paradise on BBC One. It really was shocking. But Leah, from Barnsley, South Yorks., says she is still waiting for final damages to be paid out. Alton Towers crash victim has collapsed lung and fractured leg Daniel Thorpe, 27, was named on social media by his father as having been in front row of Smiler ride when it collided with test. The pair tied the knot in front of 50 guests and Vicky's father walked her down the aisle. "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.". "I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. The 18m Smiler ride, described as the worlds first 14-looping rollercoaster on its official website, opened in May 2013. 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. Students who dressed up as a rollercoaster and called themselves the "7 legless" have apologised to victims of the Alton Towers crash. 2023 BBC. ALTON Towers Smiler crash victim Vicky Balch has married her fianc in an "emotional" wedding ceremony six years after losing her leg. People just standing around in bewilderment really.. Prosecutors revealed the weather should have shut down the ride and engineers were ill-equipped to deal with the aftermath. A woman who lost her leg in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers has received a multi-million pound payout four years on. An Alton Towers spokesman confirmed a decision had been taken to keep the park closed, and said that guests with pre-booked tickets and those arriving at the theme park would have the choice of a . The pair both feature in a new Channel 5 series, Where Theres Blame Theres A Claim, which examines compensation cases. 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. There were found to be no technical or mechanical problems with the ride itself.. ITV Dancing On Ice judge Christopher announced Jayne is out of surgery - and it was a success. Vicky Balch, 23, and Leah Washington, 20, were in the front seats of the. 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!' I hope I get it right. 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'. But at least now I can live my life. Do you know this baby? 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.". Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? Joe Pugh, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire tweeted: "How awful and disrespectful can people get? Miss Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, and Miss Washington, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, needed partial leg amputations after the crash. I would like to thank them for all their support over the past 2 years., We pay for your stories! The payout is earmarked for a lifetime of physio, treatment and prosthetics. Alton Towers Smiler crash Thrill-seekers left with devastating injuries All 16 people were eventually freed from the carriage. Read about our approach to external linking. Richardson said the first responders appeared to be more concerned with clearing people away from the ride than reaching the injured passengers. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". Its all to go on treatment. View our online Press Pack. Danny Simm, a radio presenter on 96.5 Bolton FM who appears to have been at the amusement park, tweeted: People unconscious, knocked out. "I come home from work and all I want to do is get in bed. I want lots of candles and fairylights.. The University of Nottingham students made the outfits for a bar crawl and posed in them for a student news site. Leah Washington and Joe Pugh, who were in the front row, are circled, 'We will not give up. Leah Washington and her boyfriend Joe . Sixteen people had to be rescued after it broke down during a press launch in its opening month. Lawyer Paul Paxton said: "Our clients suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the accident. The comments below have been moderated in advance. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. In a statement, the University of Nottingham Students' Union, said: "The costume was in no way intended to reference the tragedy that occurred on the Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers. When the wedding was put off last year, the couplestarted trying for a baby, andthree months after coming off the pill they conceived. ', 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. Human error caused the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash in June that seriously injured five people, the Staffordshire theme park has said. Leah and Vicky Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, who also lost a leg as a result of the crash, later announced they were suing Merlin for negligence and or breach of statutory duty. After an investigation, authorities arrested Rogel Hernandez-Reyes, a 27-year-old man from Maryland. Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, was fined 5million over the Smiler crash in 2015. Where There's Blame There's A Claim features Leah Washington and Joe Pugh, Don't miss any TV and showbiz news - sign up to free alerts. A law firm representing eight of those injured when two carriages of the Smiler ride crashed. Both have been undergoing rehabilitation for their injuries. She sometimes says thanks when I dont even notice Ive done anything extra. Three-quarters of pet pooches show signs of mental health issues including anxiety, survey reveals, MEGHAN MCCAIN: Disgraced pig Andrew Cuomo claims he and his brother are victims of cancel culture as he launches one of the most repulsive comeback tours in history, BUT we're all better off without them, Florida passes controversial 'Don't Say Gay' Bill that restricts speech in public classrooms on sexual orientation and gender identity after one lawmaker raised concerns that children were being 'trendy' in coming out as gay, Has Biden's SCOTUS pick Ketanji Brown Jackson secured her first Republican vote: Senator Susan Collins calls credentials 'impressive' and rejects calls to slow down nomination, Brother and sister are charged in $124M cryptocurrency scam after 'lying to 20,000 investors about the value of their Ormeus Coin as they spent millions on real estate and traveling around the globe to Rome, India and Singapore', Biden admits he's 'not sure' whether burn pits caused the brain cancer that killed his son Beau - but vows to 'find out everything we can' and tells veterans they 'shouldn't have to ask for a damn thing', 'It's something our son would want us to do': Jill Biden pays tribute to Beau during speech on her 'personal' Cancer Moonshot program during tour of the Tohono O'odham Nation oncology center in Arizona, 'No sane person should promote this insanity! 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. Im always aching.". Alton Towers Smiler crash victims Vicky Balch and Leah Washington sue theme park owners for millions of pounds. The Smiler reopened in March this year with 'improved safety measures' but student Miss Balch said she hoped the ride would 'be destroyed'. 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. Leigh Curtis, who was sitting in a nearby bar when the accident happened, described quite an eerie feel in the aftermath of the collision. 'I had no idea he was going to propose and couldn't believe it when he asked me. does not see the point in being angry about what happened. Two people. Vicky shared the happy news on social media in a post that read: 'Finally ready to introduce the newest member of our family Venanzio Joseph Manciocchi born 12/3/2021 after an emotional rollercoaster which ended in emergency C-Section and 3 nights in Neo-natal the family is finally home and ready to enjoy many memories @dinomanciocchi.'. 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. The five seriously injured were Vicky Balch and Daniel Thorpe, from Buxton in Derbyshire, Leah Washington and Joe Pugh, from Barnsley, and Chandaben Chauhan, from Wednesbury, West Midlands. The investigation also identified areas where protocols and the training of employees should be improved. 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.. As always you can unsubscribe at any time.