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. 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. No amount will give me my leg back or the life I would have had.. 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. 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 added that he had read all the victim impact statements. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Man Charged 5 Months After Fatal Sterling Crash: Police What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Stock in the FTSE-100 firm dropped 3.46% to 444.3p a share after opening this morning at 462.6p a share. Both have been undergoing rehabilitation for their injuries. Tom Whelton, who was on the Smiler hours before the crash, said his carriage got stuck on the rollercoasters first hill. She captioned apicture of the pair: ''Can't believe my best friend asked me to marry him on Friday. 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'. Alton Towers remains closed for third day as health and safety 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.. "I come home from work and all I want to do is get in bed. Alton Towers owner pleads guilty over Smiler rollercoaster crash I would like to thank them for all their support over the past 2 years., We pay for your stories! She was sat in the front carriage when the crash happened and was rushed in to surgery where doctors had to amputate her right leg. 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Each of the top of the range legs with a microprocessor knee joint can cost up to 80,000 and last about eight years. Leah showed off her engagement ring in a photo from Venice on her Instagram page. Everything has to be planned out. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. We went halfway across the park and then we heard a big bang. It added that Alton Towers had introduced a number of new safety measures across all its multi-car rollercoasters since the accident. Reunited: The Four Victims Of Alton Towers' 'The Smiler' Crash Pictured 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. Daniel Thorpe, 27, from Buxton in Derbyshire, was treated for a collapsed lung and lower leg injuries. 20:48 GMT 24 Oct 2021. A law firm representing eight of those injured when two carriages of the Smiler ride crashed. 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. The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Mum in hysterics after son's Christening banner is taken 'too literally', "All of my family and friends were just in stitches", Jet2 announces new Bristol Airport destination to Greece ahead of 'busiest summer yet', It's expecting its "biggest ever summer operation" in Bristol, Police appeal for help in finding missing Bristol teen. 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. I still dont really understand.". 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. The Staffordshire theme park owner has already admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act, and was fined 5m in September 2016. And Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout for her injuries. It has been closed twice before because of technical issues. 2023 BBC. Leah, whose case should be resolved next year, will need money for the rest of her life. The pair announced their engagement two years ago onInstagram. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Kaya Terry For Mailonline Alton Towers Smiler crash victims Vicky Balch and Leah - mirror The harrowing story behind Alton Towers Smiler crash five years on Theres ups and downs in any relationship and this makes ours a bit more complicated. I wanted to take her mind away from the case and put it in a nice place wedding prep and marriage. The University of Nottingham students made the outfits for a bar crawl and posed in them for a student news site. He said settlements relied on receiving certain information from claimants, and Merlin had "provided appropriate support including interim payments while the assessments continue". ", Joe wrote on his Instagram page "What a great end to a long weekend in Venice SHE SAID YES". Mr Thorogood said some victims described the angle as 45 degrees, but accepted this was disputed. They described the aftermath as being like something out of a "horror movie. Alton Towers has confirmed its flagship roller coaster the Smiler will . 20:40 GMT 24 Oct 2021 Now we can focus fully on that.. Judge Michael Chambers QC described the accident as a "catastrophic failure" and said it was entirely avoidable. Alton Towers Smiler ride crash caused by human error, theme park says Judge Michael Chambers QC said the crash on the 18m attraction was a "catastrophic failure and a "needless and avoidable accident in which those who were injured were lucky not to be killed.". Im slowly getting that back, but life is never going to be the same as it used to be.. Leah Washington and Joe Pugh, who were in the front row, are circled, 'We will not give up. Alton Towers owner, Merlin Entertainments, saw its share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. A couple seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have announced their engagement. 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. Alton Towers Smiler crash victims Vicky Balch and Leah Washington sue theme park owners for millions of pounds. 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Vicky was excited to speak about her wedding, saying: We are getting married in Italy, an intimate ceremony with friends and family. 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Two women who lost legs after a crash on a ride at Alton Towers are suing the park's owners, their lawyers have said. Students who dressed up as a rollercoaster and called themselves the "7 legless" have apologised to victims of the Alton Towers crash. Leah Washington, 19, from Barnsley, lost her leg along with another young passenger in the disaster. 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.'. Stock in the FTSE-100 firm dropped 3.46% to 444.3p a share after opening this morning at 462.6p a share. "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. They could each receive "well in excess of 2m" in compensation if the High Court claim is successful. Her parents had to move house to a bungalow with wheelchair access and she needs physiotherapy and prosthetic legs. Alton Towers Smiler Victims Pictured Together For The First Time Since Crash; Modern World Driving Children to Despair. Revealed: How Alton Towers Smiler crash unfolded minute-by - mirror It really was shocking. A spokesperson for Alton Towers said: "From the outset we have sought to provide assistance and support to those that were injured and their families. Two women were transferred to the Royal Stoke University hospital and two men were taken to hospitals in Coventry and Warwickshire. Alton Towers' owner, Merlin Entertainments, saw its share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. 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. 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. It faces a multi-million pound fine and potentially millions more in compensation claims from the victims following a Health and Safety Executive prosecution.