'Rollercoaster crash like hitting a car at 90mph'

Leah Washington-Pugh said while she and husband Joe can never move on from the Smiler crash they "couldn't be happier"

A couple who were seriously injured in the Smiler rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers say they can "never move on" from it, but still "couldn't be happier".

Now married, Leah Washington-Pugh, then 17 and 18-year-old Joe Pugh, from South Yorkshire, were on a date when their Smiler carriage rammed into another at the Staffordshire theme park, 10 years ago.

Leah's legs were crushed, forcing the amputation of her left leg above the knee whilst both of Joe's kneecaps were shattered and some of his fingers severed in the crash, they said was "equivalent to driving into a car at 90mph".

The crash, on 2 June 2015, led to operator Merlin being fined £5m, with compensation paid to the 16 victims.

The couple, who were on a date at the time, have since married

Speaking through their legal representatives, Stewarts Solicitors, the pair said despite going through some dark times they had "definitely come a long way" since the crash.

Remembering the day, the couple said they had made a beeline for the ride as soon as they had entered the park.

Technical difficulties had delayed them getting on, but "I never thought anything of it," said Leah.

After eventually setting off, their carriage had "gone around a corner and crashed straight into the empty cart," she explained.

"I think if I remember rightly if you compare it to a car accident it was the equivalent of driving into a car at 90 miles an hour, it was pretty severe," added Joe.

"And then I looked down at my legs and realised that something wasn't right," said Leah.

"I looked at Joe and Joe's little finger was hanging off."

Stranded on the ride for about four hours, she credits emergency workers for saving her life.

"The air ambulance was flying in blood for me because I was just losing that much," she said.

"If it wasn't for the air ambulance and other services on the day I know I wouldn't be here today."

'Learn to live again'

Following her rescue, Leah spent five days in intensive care and was in hospital for eight weeks.

After being discharged "navigating life in normal surroundings was quite difficult at the start," she said.

"We had to learn not only how to walk again and live again, but how to build a relationship again with each other," added Joe.

Sixteen people were injured on 2 June 2015, including two who went on to have leg amputations

The couple said supporting each other through their recovery had been "really important".

"Yes, our injuries were there and everything else around us was going off, but we still had that relationship and friendship and that got us through everything."

"Fast forward 10 years we're both really happy," continued Joe.

"We're now married, we're almost a year into us marriage, we've got a beautiful home together we couldn't be happier."

The couple attended Staffordshire Justice Centre in 2016 where operator Merlin admitted health and safety breaches

The crash was "utterly shocking" and "unlike anything that had ever happened the world over," according to one industry expert.

Vicky Balch, of Leyland, Lancashire, also needed a partial leg amputation after the crash.

"Knowing quite a bit about the theme park industry, it was a shock as to how it could have happened and what would have been the cause," said European Coaster Club journalist Marcus Gaines.

"The incident attracted worldwide attention which shows how rare and unusual it was and what a major incident it was," he added.

Journalist Marcus Gaines says lessons have been learned since the crash in 2015

Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd admitted breaches of the Health and Safety Act in what bosses called "the most serious incident" in Alton Towers' history.

Imposing the fine on Merlin, Judge Michael Chambers QC said the crash had been foreseeable, but accepted the company which owns Alton Towers had subsequently taken full and extensive steps to remedy the problems that led to it happening.

'Unprecedented'

Mr Gaines added that at the time the UK was recognised as one of the leading experts in amusement park safety.

"Lots of other countries don't have any real regulation about ride safety," he said.

He said safety measures put in place since the crash included visual checks where staff physically inspect the entire length of the track to ensure it is clear.

"We've had this horrific accident, but it is unprecedented that that accident happened," Mr Gaines continued.

"I think the fact that we haven't seen anything like that before, and we've not seen anything like it in the 10 years since, shows what high standards we do have in the UK."

Reflecting on a decade since the crash, Leah said: "You've always got to find the positive in the negative and just got to grab life, because it's so precious, and make the most of it".

The couple are using the anniversary to host a ball to support the Midlands Air Ambulance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the LimbBo Foundation, a charity which supports limb-different children.

The events of 2015 were "tragic", Leigh added, but had also "fetched a lot of happiness and experiences that we would never have had".