In 2015, two trains on Alton Tower’s Smile ride crashed into each other with a force equivalent to driving into a car at 90mph.
What should have been a fun-filled day out for a young couple at Alton Towers turned into a nightmare that still plagues Leah Washington-Pugh more than a decade on.
Now 28 years old, Leah had to have her leg amputated after having her legs crushed in the Smiler rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers on June 2, 2015, which injured 16 passengers and has been described as being “equivalent to driving into a car at 90mph”
Ten years on from the catastrophe, she described how she still sometimes yearns for a “normal life” but is “lucky to be where I am now”, as the Staffordshire theme park pledged to help other amputees at a brand new Nottinghamshire NHS facility.
On that day, a combination of human error and a lack of adequate training led to a train packed with passengers colliding with a stationary empty train left on the track, injuring 16, with five people seriously hurt, two of whom required leg amputations.
Leah and her now-husband Joe Pugh were aged just 17 and 18 when the incident unfolded and were both given compensation for the crash by operator Merlin, which was also fined £5 million for breaching the Health and Safety Act.
“It was a massive shock, obviously, for everybody that’s experienced not just a traumatic event, but to also become an amputee from the accident as well.
“It’s a lot to get your head around,” recalled the 28-year-old from Barnsley. Joe also sustained major injuries as his kneecaps were shattered and some of his fingers severed in the crash.
The incident resulted in the passing of Stuart’s Law, which aims to provide legal support for victims of accidents in theme parks after the empty train had stopped unexpectedly on a section of the track due to high winds, something ride operators failed to notice before dispatching the second train.
“I was 17 so I was just starting to go out and be an independent person. And then everything was taken away from me and I was back to relying on my mum and dad to do everything for me or nurses. It was a massive shock.
“Obviously, there are times now when I just think it’s a hassle and I wish I could have my leg back and live a normal life. But I’ve got to think I’m lucky to be where I am now and embrace every moment and live life to the fullest.”
Mrs Washington-Pugh is one of six volunteer ‘patient ambassadors’, who will help support those being treated at Nottingham’s National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), due to open by the end of the year.
The 70-bed £105 million NHS facility, based at Stanford Hall Estate, will help people recover from serious injuries and illnesses and is tipped to shepherd in a “new era” of rehabilitation treatment across the country.
“I’ll come down to see them and have a chat with them. Be that friendly face,” Mrs Washington-Pugh explained of her role.
“When I was in the hospital, a girl came to see me who was also an amputee. She gave me an idea of what was coming and what my future would look like. It massively helped in my journey.
“It is a minefield. You get chucked in this situation, and then you’ve got to learn from scratch and figure everything out yourself. It’s a bit daunting.
“Sometimes you have to compromise, but you can still live a fulfilled life and go and do things you really want to do.”
