On 2nd June 2015, 16 passengers on board The Smiler ride at Alton Towers Resort were involved in an horrific accident, which involved their carriage colliding with an empty carriage in front of them. Today it was announced that those involved in the unfortunate accident have received their first insurance payouts in order to help them with their rehabilitation.
Whilst 16 people were involved in the crash, 4 of those experienced extensive injuries, as they sat in the front row of the carriage. Amongst those was 17-year-old Leah Washington, whose left leg was so badly injured that emergency services had no choice but to amputate her limb above the knee. A fellow front row passenger, Vicky Blach, 20, was the second person to have to have her leg amputated because of the collision. Meanwhile, Daniel Thorpe, 27 suffered a fractured leg, as well as a collapsed lung.
Leah’s boyfriend, Joe Pugh, 18, who was sat beside her on the ride, recently told ITV This Morning about the events that unfolded during the incident and the injuries he sustained from the collision.
Due to the extent of the passengers injuries, the insurance firm, ‘Stewarts Law’ who is looking after eight of the injured passengers, revealed today, that in order to help with their rehabilitation, they had been given their first insurance payments.
Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, Merlin Entertainment (owners of Alton Towers) have said that the incident could leave their profits down as much as nearly 50 million pounds.
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