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!' ', 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.'. Four ambulances and four air ambulances attended the scene among 40 emergency vehicles in total after receiving a 999 call at 2.09pm. However, he added that there was 'absolutely no evidence of a task analysis-based approach for engineering work, in particular in dealing with ride faults'. 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.". 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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.. But hopefully it will cover everything I need.. "In the meantime, interim payments and other support have been provided to aid Vickys rehabilitation.". Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. The website reads: Not for the faint-hearted, this new ride at Alton Towers features a series of twisted psychological effects including optical illusions, blinding lights and near misses designed to mess with your mind.. But we support each other. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. I would like to thank them for all their support over the past 2 years., We pay for your stories! 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. Mr Thorogood said some victims described the angle as 45 degrees, but accepted this was disputed. Two teenagers involved in the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash were on their first official date, it emerged today. Do you know this baby? Leah Washington told her 26,000 Instagram followers about the engagement, Joe Pugh, who was 19 when the crash happened, and Leah Washington, then 18, continued dating, 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. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? Leahs blood pressure plunged so low it was unrecordable and she nearly died. 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. After that, we didnt really know what it was, then it started filtering through that something bad had happened. Theres ups and downs in any relationship and this makes ours a bit more complicated. 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. Im always aching.". Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 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. Artificial limbs can cost 80,000 each and need replacing every few years. A Merlin spokesman said: "From the outset we have admitted liability and have engaged fully at all times to achieve settlement for all the claimants as quickly as possible. Im slowly getting that back, but life is never going to be the same as it used to be.. Me, Dinos mum and my best friends ended up crying. The Smiler rollercoaster has been closed since June last year after a crash injured 16 people. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Credit: ITV News Central. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? Four people were seriously hurt after two carriages on the Smiler rollercoaster collided at the theme park yesterday. 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. Miss Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, and Miss Washington, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, needed partial leg amputations after the crash. The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It really was shocking. Good luck to all the teenagers involved. 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. Two women were transferred to the Royal Stoke University hospital and two men were taken to hospitals in Coventry and Warwickshire. 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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. He added: 'The fault is with the defendant for not devising a scheme for not guiding the work of the engineers.'. Joe suffered shattered kneecaps in the accident. Something went wrong, please try again later. My life as a wife and mum will be so different now. I hope I get it right. Some people said they had experienced problems on the ride just hours before the crash. Nicholas Varney, 53, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, and Alton Towers divisional director Ian Crabbe attended court. 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. Human error caused the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash in June that seriously injured five people, the Staffordshire theme park has said. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, it opened in 2013 as the world's first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster. The court also heard engineers should have seen the empty carriage which was visible on CCTV cameras covering the track. They described the aftermath as being like something out of a "horror movie. It was never going to be easy. Alton Towers operator Merlin was fined 5m after admitting breaching the Health and Safety Act. Collision course: Swinging into the picture moments before impact on the left, the Smiler packed with people circled in blue on the right plummets towards the empty carriage circled in red, Carnage: The two trucks collide like a 90mph car crash and they became meshed together, crushing the people in the front row - two of whom later had legs amputated, Blunder: This footage seconds before the crash shows how the ride was stopped but then set off again when an engineer ignored a warning on the ride's computer system, Scale model: The Health and Safety Executive were able to plot the speed and power of the impact in Britain's worst rollercoaster crash for years. Kaya Terry For Mailonline, New heartbreak for Alton Towers Smiler crash survivor Vicky Balch as coronavirus forces her to postpone the dream Italian wedding she funded from her compensation payout after losing her leg, Alton Towers amputee, 25, announces she is expecting a baby with her fiance five years after losing her leg in rollercoaster disaster, Alton Towers amputee Vicky Balch, 25, gives birth to baby boy called Venanzio six years after she lost her leg in horrific Smiler ride accident at theme park, 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!' Do you know this baby? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Alton Towers remains closed for third day as health and safety She said she is now having to opt for a "less demanding" career. In an interview with a university magazine, the students admitted they attached fake legs to their costumes but said it was to simulate "a person sitting down" rather than any form of injury. 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. An independent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive is ongoing. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". 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 victims screamed for help as they were left suspended in mid-air on the ride, which can reach speeds of up to 50mph, for several hours. 20:48 GMT 24 Oct 2021. Sixteen people had to be rescued after it broke down during a press launch in its opening month. The accident occurred just after 2pm and the evacuation of the ride was completed at 6.35pm, according to an Alton Towers spokeswoman. Leigh Curtis, who was sitting in a nearby bar when the accident happened, described quite an eerie feel in the aftermath of the collision. She sometimes says thanks when I dont even notice Ive done anything extra. After an investigation, authorities arrested Rogel Hernandez-Reyes, a 27-year-old man from Maryland. Leah Washington said:Merlin have looked after me and my family so well! Designer lookalike for a fraction of the cost. One had then 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. The pair tied the knot in front of 50 guests and Vicky's father walked her down the aisle. Box 7200, Leesburg, VA 20177 She told ITV: Id like it to be, but I know thats not realistic because it was a big attraction for the company. "I still dont think Ive fully come to terms with everything that's happened. "I spent the next two days just sighing with relief. Some of the passengers sustained life-changing injuries. What science tells us about the afterlife. The grainy CCTV clip shows the ride smashing into an empty carriage with the same forceas a 90mph car crash. 20:40 GMT 24 Oct 2021 The mother-of-one said she was 'emotional' on the lead up to the big day and 'wouldn't change' anything about her life because she wouldn't have her beloved husband or their son, who is also known as Vinnie.
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