Who was the girl injured on the Smiler ride?

Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in 2015. Leah's leg was later amputated and Joe had shattered knees. Leah showed off her engagement ring in a photo from Venice on her Instagram page.



The most prominent individual injured in the 2015 Smiler crash at Alton Towers was Leah Washington, who was 17 years old at the time. She was on a first date with her boyfriend, Joe Pugh, when their carriage collided with a stationary test car on the track. Due to the severity of her injuries, Leah had to have her left leg amputated above the knee. Another young woman, Vicky Balch, also lost a leg in the accident. The incident became a major international news story, leading to a record £5 million fine for Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd. By 2026, Leah has become an inspiring public figure, often sharing her journey of recovery and her life as an amputee on social media. She and Joe eventually married in 2024, a decade after the accident that changed their lives. Her story is frequently cited in discussions regarding theme park safety and the resilience of the human spirit following a catastrophic life event.

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Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in 2015. Leah's leg was later amputated and Joe had shattered knees. Leah showed off her engagement ring in a photo from Venice on her Instagram page. She received thousands of likes and wrote: So this happened yesterday…

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Vicky Balch, from Lancashire, had her right leg amputated below the knee following seven rounds of surgery. She was injured when the theme park's Smiler ride crashed into an empty carriage in front of it on 2 June.

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All children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult of 18 years and above. Children under 3 years old can visit the park for free. The following height and age restrictions apply: Guests must be 1.4m or over to ride Nemesis, Galatica, The Smiler, Oblivion and Rita (Rita has a maximum height of 1.95m).

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All children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult of 18 years and above. Children under 3 years old can visit the park for free. The following height and age restrictions apply: Guests must be 1.4m or over to ride Nemesis, Galatica, The Smiler, Oblivion and Rita (Rita has a maximum height of 1.95m).

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Victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash have received their first insurance payments. A law firm representing eight of those injured when two carriages of the Smiler ride crashed on 2 June said interim payments had been released to help with the victims' rehabilitation.

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Vicky Balch and Leah Washington, who each lost a leg in the crash, were in court for the start of the two-day court hearing, along with Joe Pugh, Daniel Thorpe and Chandaben Chauhan, who were also seriously hurt.

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Air and th13teen are probably the least scary, if you are scared of going upside down then air should help with that somewhat as its just like laying on your back! Last edited by broco101 on Thu Jun 13, 2013 6:49 am, edited 1 time in total. Oblivion still tops for scariest... especially for newbies.

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The body of a Smiler shows nothing but a black mass enshrouding the creature. It is unknown if this is the body of the Smiler itself or a shadow that covers its actual body. The documentation of its body is currently impossible, as Smilers leave no trace of their existence when they die.

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'There are five different mind effects, which are all designed to mess with your head. You shoot towards giant syringes, spinning hypnotic wheels, and flashing lights, among other things. ' Each of the five elements on The Smiler are reported to be more than just scenery the rider passes.

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A fully-loaded train travelling approximately 20 mph (32 km/h) collided with an empty, stationary train. Of the eleven riders who required medical treatment, five were seriously injured. Two required partial leg amputations in the weeks following the incident.

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Following the accident, merchandise and references to the Smiler were removed from the park. The coaster was closed for the rest of the year. The fate of the ride was unknown until 24 November 2015, when Alton Towers announced that the accident was caused by human error and the ride would reopen in 2016.

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