Alton Towers Rollercoaster Crash Victim Joe Pugh Describes Accident That Left Girlfriend Leah Washington With Amputated Leg

One Alton Towers Crash Victim Has Described His Terrifying Ordeal

One of the victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster accident has described the horror crash which left his girlfriend having to have her leg amputated.

Joe Pugh recalled the "sickening bang" he heard as their carriage collided with another.

He said his girlfriend Leah Washington screamed in pain and he described a bloody scene as they sat trapped in the Smiler ride at Alton Towers.

The pair were among five people seriously injured in the crash earlier this month which resulted in the Staffordshire theme park closing for six days.

Pugh, 18, whose knees were shattered in the crash, told the Mail on Sunday: "I remember a sickening bang with metal grinding against metal and the safety bar being rammed against my knees.

"I looked at my hands and there was blood everywhere."

Washington, 17, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, suffered the most serious injuries. Her left leg was amputated above the knee and she also received treatment for a fractured hand.

Pugh said he and the others on the ride had been forced to get off the Smiler ride twice before it began so staff could carry out safety checks, and described a 20-minute delay as the rollercoaster paused on one of the loops.

Leah Washington and Joe Pugh

He after the crash Mr Pugh said he became annoyed when he saw a girl taking a video of the trapped victims rather than calling for help.

He said he remains "angry" after the incident, insisting someone should have realised the empty train was on the track and the ride should have been shut down.

Earlier this week he tweeted:

Vicky Balch and Daniel Thorpe were also seriously injured in the incident.

Earlier this week Leah Washingtonโ€™s family spoke out about her life-changing injuries but said that she had united them with her "amazing strength".

Speaking on local BBC radio, Luke Washington said his sister's condition had improved dramatically, so much so that when he saw her yesterday she was standing up.

"It's a world of difference," he said. Initially, his sister was heavily sedated in intensive care and relying on "medical help" to breath.

"To see her from the condition she was in to now being stood up, it's great."

Close

What's Hot