[Axel]

Alton Towers rollercoaster victim speaks for first time about crash that seriously injured him and girlfriend

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jo ... er-5819531

"...Bosses at the theme park had been advertising for a person to come and become a rollercoaster tester just three weeks ago.

They had been seeking a person with a "strong stomach" to ride a number of the attractions - including The Smiler - each morning before the public arrive.

The company has now closed the advert and is no longer looking to fill this position at the moment."

[chknwing]

This accident just keep getting worse. 17-year old Leah Washington was the most seriously injured of the four victims and had to have her left leg amputated just above the knee.

[RollerBee]

On a positive note, she can still "walk" away. However it would gracious of Merlin Enterainment to ensure she could walk away.

[Jonathan]

What is wrong with you

[RollerBee]

^ Trying to be postive today. Better to survive the accident with injuries than not to. It wasn't meant as a joke. The second part I meant that Merlin Enterainment in my opinion should do enough to help the young lady live as normal a life as possible.

[coasterbruh]

Roller, if I were you I would just stick to talking about current park operations as if things still ran like they did when you worked the park...

[RollerBee]

I am afraid I am seriously not understanding how what I said it is wrong.

[Wormy]

It’s not so much that you said anything wrong, but you might have picked the wrong time to experiment with optimism. There’s no possible way to put a positive spin on this; it deserves none.

[Axel]

Alton Towers: Branding removed from Smiler as ride to be closed for 'forseeable future'

http://www.ashbournenewstelegraph.co.uk ... story.html

[PatrickMcPherson]

This is bad for everyone involved. It sucks for the victims, the park staff, ownership, and visitors, and also for anyone who may have not gotten a chance to ride the ride. I hate seeing accidents like this, because although it was a seemingly simple error of the operater, it's resulting in what looks to be the permanent closeure of an innovative and record breaking coaster. I hope for best with everyone involved with this moving forward.

[chknwing]

Two staff from Alton Towers are under investigation over the horrific Smiler ride crash that seriously injured four people, including two young women who each lost a leg. According to The Daily Mail, an engineer overrode an automatic safety lock, allowing the ride operator to send the carriage full of people careering into an empty vehicle that had ‘stalled’ further down the track.

Could they get jail time for this?

[Jonathan]

In the UK yes, not uncommon. I think the "engineer" (ie: maintenance) is the one really the most at fault here. The ride operator holds some of the responsibility as well, but it's more passive responsibility in that they appear to have followed maintenance's instructions without questioning them whereas maintenance has the active responsibility in that they made an extraordinarily negligent decision. When maintenance is at the ride they are basically the authority figure so it's not surprising that the ride op would do what they said.

[Axel]

lots of gruesome & engineering details, pics & videos

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... riage.html

[MarkD]

You can go here Youtube and watch all the different stories.

I was trying to find some good pics because my question is what could you see from the launch station? With the Smiler being a compact ride could you see the whole track?

[gabed]

Looks like they're planning on reopening The Smiler soon, but those injured are not too happy about it.

Full article:

Alton Towers crash victim Vicky Balch said she was told The Smiler would re-open within months - because the giant theme park was "losing millions of pounds".

The 20-year-old student said bosses dropped the bombshell during a visit as she recovered from losing her leg in the horrific smash earlier this year.

The rollercoaster has remained shut since the accident, which also forced a second victim, 17-year-old Leah Washington, to have a leg amputated.

“They said they are not making as much money as they used to,” said Vicky.

“I feel upset and insulted.

“This has happened to me on their ride so why would they want to reopen it so quickly? It has changed my future. My independence has completely gone and I cry all the time.”

She was one of four people seriously injured on The Smiler in June when their rollercoaster car smashed into an empty carriage.

They were trapped on the ride for hours before medics could reach them. Vicky and Leah each had a leg amputated.

Vicky had five operations to save her leg but the wound became infected and surgeons had to remove the limb.

Three months on she is learning to walk again on a prosthetic leg.

The shock news about the reopening came in a visit from Nick Varney, chief executive of theme park owners Merlin Entertainments and Alton Towers’ divisional director Ian Crabbe.

First they announced the findings of the company’s internal investigation into the devastating accident – it had been caused by human error.

Then, as Vicky wept and her mum Karen, 51, sat in stunned silence, Mr Varney broke the news.

Karen recalled: “Nick Varney said, ‘We’re losing millions of pounds and the park is a lot quieter.

“We want to reopen The Smiler as soon as possible, hopefully this year.’

“I was shocked, I just didn’t know what to say.

“This has ripped Vicky’s life apart.

“She should be able to live life to the full and she can’t.

“I think The Smiler should be taken down.

“Vicky’s brother Ben wants to go and chop it down.”

An external investigation into the crash by the Health and Safety Executive is continuing.

Alton Towers bosses told the Balch family that a ride operator and an engineer were at fault for overriding the system which had stopped Vicky’s car at the top of an incline, causing it to smash into an empty car on the track.

They face disciplinary action and are believed to have undergone counselling.

But life will never be the same for Vicky.

This week she should be starting her third year of studies in spa management at the University of Derby.

Instead, she has moved back in with mum Karen, a healthcare assistant, and dad Brian, 55.

The whole family have had to move to rented accommodation in Preston, Lancashire, because their family home isn’t suitable for her needs.

Vicky is having physio four times a week.

The skyscraper Christian Louboutin heels bought by her mum for her to wear at her two-year graduation ceremony sit gathering dust.

“I’m very up and down at the moment,” admitted Vicky.

“Talking about things I can’t do any more makes me really emotional.

“I can’t walk my dogs and I can’t ring up my friends at uni and say, do you fancy having a drink tonight?”

The day that changed her life for ever, June 2, was meant to be a fun outing with friend Daniel Thorpe, 27.

They’d been on a few dates when they headed off to the Staffordshire theme park.

Recalling the crash, she said: “I fainted, I must have been in so much pain.

“When I became conscious again I looked down.

“My beige jeans were completely ripped and blood was dripping out. I thought I’m never going to be able to walk again with that leg.”

It took 11 minutes for the emergency services to be called and four hours for Vicky to be freed from the ride by a team of 30 medics.

She was flown to the Royal Stoke University Hospital by air ­ambulance for a five-hour operation.

“I’d never had an operation before and I was hysterical afterwards, crying like a child,” said Vicky.

“I grabbed a nurse’s hand and wouldn’t let her leave until they got my mum.”

Karen, who had been rushed to hospital by police, will never forget that day.

“Vicky was crying when I first saw her,” she said.

“She asked me, ‘Who’s going to want me like this?’

“I replied, ‘I don’t care, you’re still my daughter’.”

Vicky didn’t sleep for days because she feared reliving the crash in her dreams.

On June 5, the day before her 20th birthday, she had a nine-hour op to reconstruct her ­shattered right leg.

The surgeon had discussed the ­possibility of amputation with Vicky but said he hoped her leg could be saved.

She underwent four further gruelling operations and procedures, on June 10, 15, 17 and 23.

Initially, progress was good.

She could stand on her own and even take a few steps on her crutches. But by the end of June, infection had set in and amputation was mentioned again.

“It didn’t shock me because it was always on the cards,” said Vicky.

“But I went to theatre and before they put me under, I couldn’t stop crying.

“The surgeon found the infection had gone down to the bone, I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t found it.”

Now back home, she uses a ­wheelchair for long distances and crutches for short ones.

Her mum changes her ­dressings daily.

Vicky also has a rod and pins in her leg and may face further surgery for ligament damage.

She was awarded interim compensation by Alton Towers and can expect a substantial payment in the future.

Her recovery has been agony but this week she had a breakthrough and walked on her prosthetic leg for the first time.

“It felt great, just amazing,” she said.

“I always thought I’d be in a wheelchair for my two-year graduation in November but now hopefully I can walk.”

But she admitted: “I was always really conscious of my short, stumpy legs and I feel less feminine now.

“The way people look at you, that’s a big thing for me.

“I liked the ­attention before but now they look at me in a different way. It’s horrible.”

And her budding romance with Dan did not survive.

“It was going really well with Dan but not now,” she said.

“After my first op I asked my mum: ‘Who’s going to want me like this?’

“And I still think like that.”

Merlin Chief executive Nick Varney told the Sunday Mirror: “Since the terrible incident on June 2 we have done all we can to support those so badly affected by it, and their families.

“I genuinely thought that the right thing to do was to meet each of them individually to explain our main findings and to answer their questions directly.”

Mr Varney said he was asked about the loss of revenue since the crash: “I was very open and made no complaint about the impact on our business as the crash was our responsibility.

“I also said that we expected our business would take a long period of time to return to previous levels and we understood and accepted this.”

Mr Varney said he was also asked about the ride reopening: “I said that this would only happen after all the necessary safety checks.

“Whilst it is true that I discussed this, the ­question was not raised in the context of the drop in visitor numbers or revenues.”

Mr Varney added: “In all my ­conversations I expressed our sincere apology and acceptance of responsibility for what happened.

“I am deeply sorry if anything we discussed caused distress or offence.”

Army doctor Major David Cooper, paramedic Tom Waters and Dr Ben Clark, who ignored health and safety rules to climb the rollercoaster to save the victims, are to get a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award at the glittering of Britain ceremony, sponsored by Lidl, at London’s ­Grosvenor House on Monday.