Human error caused the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash in June that seriously injured five people, the Staffordshire theme park has said. The Recorder of Stafford, Judge Michael Chambers QC, is set to hear evidence of the HSE's investigation into the crash, and mitigation from Merlin, before passing sentence. Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. Im slowly getting that back, but life is never going to be the same as it used to be.. Do you know this baby? Lawyers said Meera Chauhan, 52, and her daughter Vanisha Singh, 33, from Walsall, who were also injured in the crash, were preparing their own legal battle. For the latest news in and around Bristol, visit and bookmark Bristol Live's homepage. "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. Alton Towers' owner, Merlin Entertainments, saw its share price plunge when it emerged the Smiler had been involved in a collision. The women are suing Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd for negligence and or breach of statutory duty. Disgusting.". By Alton Towers owners, Merlin, admitted being at fault and a 5 million fine was imposed by the courts. Speaking about her teaching assistant apprenticeship, she told MailOnline: "I'm on my feet a lot, bending down. The University of Nottingham said it had "liaised closely" with the students' union since it became aware of the conduct of those attending the event. Russia announces new ceasefire and 'humanitarian corridors' for fleeing civilians in FIVE cities from Wednesday morning - but will Putin's troops stop firing? Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, which owns and operates the Alton Towers theme park, previously admitted a breach of health and safety rules over the incident. A couple seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have announced their engagement. After that, we didnt really know what it was, then it started filtering through that something bad had happened. After an investigation, authorities arrested Rogel Hernandez-Reyes, a 27-year-old man from Maryland. 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. He added: 'The fault is with the defendant for not devising a scheme for not guiding the work of the engineers.'. The investigation also identified areas where protocols and the training of employees should be improved. 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. LOUDON COUNTY, Va. (7News) A Loudoun County road is closed Thursday to repair a traffic signal pole following an overnight crash. The serious crash unfolded on June 2, 2015, when a loaded train on the. Witnesses describe passengers screaming for help from carriage suspended in mid-air after collision on theme parks Smiler attraction. Leah, who is facing fresh surgery on her leg in September, said: "They said it would take up to three years, so were still waiting to hear. I have to be careful with the money, I have to plan how much I need to keep away for later life and care.. Me, Dinos mum and my best friends ended up crying. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, it opened in 2013 as the world's first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster. ", Joe wrote on his Instagram page "What a great end to a long weekend in Venice SHE SAID YES". does not see the point in being angry about what happened. Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations. She sometimes says thanks when I dont even notice Ive done anything extra. 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'. They described the aftermath as being like something out of a "horror movie. Sixteen people were injured in the June 2015 crash, including two teenage girls who needed leg amputations. ALTON Towers Smiler crash victim Vicky Balch has married her fianc in an "emotional" wedding ceremony six years after losing her leg. People hear Ive got money and think it must be like winning the lottery. 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. He . THIS is the moment a Smiler rollercoaster smashed into the back of another carriage at Alton Towers and left two teenagers needing leg amputations. 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. "I didnt think it would be as hard as it is. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. As of 1:30 p.m., all . However due to the complex nature of Vickys case, it was not possible to reach a settlement until now. A carriage containing 16 passengers crashed into an empty train that had stopped midway around the 14-loop ride. 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. 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The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Leah Washington and Joe Pugh, who were in the front row, are circled, 'We will not give up. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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.. 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. 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. 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. What science tells us about the afterlife. The defendant is ultimately responsible for these errors though they were made by individuals.'. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Interim payments have since been paid to cover Leah's medical and physio bills to date, but the full compensation figure is still being assessed. 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. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash have been pictured together for the first time since the horrific incident. By Lawyer Paul Paxton said: "Our clients suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the accident. Two women were transferred to the Royal Stoke University hospital and two men were taken to hospitals in Coventry and Warwickshire. 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. Witnesses posted pictures of the aftermath of the collision as people were evacuated from the rollercoaster. 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.". 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Alton Towers operator Merlin has been fined 5m for the crash on the Smiler rollercoaster. They sent a test car down behind us anyway, which I thought was a bit strange, but I guess thats just procedure for them to do that, he said. Two teenagers involved in the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash were on their first official date, it emerged today. He added that there were 'various states of knowledge' of the fault alarm systems on the ride. Something went wrong, please try again later. Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in 2015. 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.. Speaking on their behalf, Simon Antrobus, defending, said: 'They wish me to deliver an apology to the court and to those injured and affected by this ride. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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I'm A Celebrity 2019: Fears show could be cancelled due to huge bush fires in Australia, Mum's 'life-changing' baby wipe hack is stunning parents, DWP: Every one-off payment the government is sending out this March, Eligible people are entitled to several grants and benefits this month, Primark's cross-body bags similar to 3.4k Dior version wowing savvy shoppers. Balch, who also lost a leg in the incident, has previously said she wanted the ride to shut for good. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 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 has taken full responsibility for the incident and continues to co-operate with the ongoing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation. Emergency services were still attempting to free the last of the trapped passengers four hours after the incident, using a specially constructed platform to reach the carriage. I want lots of candles and fairylights.. , updated "I spent the next two days just sighing with relief. EXCLUSIVE: The two young women could get around 2million each, according to . Our concern is with and for them and for their safety, and all our thoughts and efforts are focused on them.. Speaking to Mirror Online, she said: Its hard being asked how many children you want, thinking about whether youll be able to use a prosthetic when youre older, when youll be in a wheelchair. Its been four-and-a-half years. CCTV shows horrific moment Alton Towers ride carriages smash into each other 'like 90mph car crash', Alton Towers Smiler crash victims pay tribute to Drayton Manor schoolgirl, Watch: Delighted passengers queue to go on The Smiler as it reopens, BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt halts show to warn Lenny Henry 'you shouldn't say that', Charlie was hosting BBC Breakfast on Thursday - but warned Lenny: "You really shouldn't say that. Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in. In an interview in August, Washington described the blur of waking up in hospital and being told her left leg had been amputated and that it still had not sunk in. Putting names to archive photos, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, In photos: India's disappearing single-screen cinemas. 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. When is Eurovision and how do you get tickets? But Leah added: "Its not going to bring back my leg, its not going to bring back the life I had before. Alton Towers Smiler crash victims pay tribute to Drayton Manor schoolgirl; Joe tells the documentary: "I could just see blood, bone . Leah Washington (left) and Vicky Balch were both badly injured on the ride. Tom Whelton, who was on the Smiler hours before the crash, said his carriage got stuck on the rollercoasters first hill. 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. But hopefully it will cover everything I need.. 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.