Injured at Alton Towers
I just heard a bang and felt something slam into my knees… I remember shouting at people to stop taking pictures
It was supposed to be a date filled with thrills and laughter, but for Joe Pugh, 18 and his girlfriend Leah Washington, 17 a trip to Alton Towers changed their lives forever.
The pair were sat on the front row of The Smiler rollercoaster when it smashed into an empty carriage on the tracks, seriously injuring all four of the front riders. In what was described as the most serious incident in the theme park's history, the victims waited four and a half hours to be rescued, yet their ordeal was far from over. Leah's injuries were so severe she had her left leg amputated above the knee. Both of Joe's knees were smashed to pieces and his hands severely injured.
Despite Leah still being in hospital, the pair say the accident has brought them even closer as a couple and last week they went out together for the first time since the crash.
In his first ever TV interview, Joe joins us to talk about rebuilding his life and going back to university at the end of September.
Joe had been on the Smiler four times before and queued for an hour to get on to the ride with Leah. He said of their injuries, "I didn't know they were so severe because to me all the injuries looked similar."
It was a difficult rescue for the emergency services. Joe and the others were on the ride for four hours after the crash, Joe said: "It didn't seem like over four hours up there. I remained conscious all the way through, they were handing out antibiotics but I didn't have any as I'm petrified of needles."
Once rescued, Joe was taken by an ambulance and Leah was taken by air for aid. He said that in the back of his mind he worried that he would be paralysed, but once the team had done the checks, he got feeling back in his toes and knew he wouldn't be.
Joe told us that girlfriend Leah was doing 'really well' and said that he doesn't feel angry with Alton Towers as they've been brilliant with them since the accident.
Alton Towers are conducting their own independent investigation alongside the external investigation that is currently taking place.