Huddersfield Uni student named as Alton Towers Smiler accident victim
A university student studying in Huddersfield was one of the victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster accident, it has been revealed.
Smiler in Alton Towers.
Joe Pugh, 18, and his girlfriend Leah Washington, 17, both of Barnsley, were riding on the Smiler ride on Tuesday.
Mr Pugh is a textile design student at the University of Huddersfield.
Two carriages crashed on the ride at the Staffordshire theme park, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours about 25ft (7.6m) up in the air.
The accident happened at around 2pm on Tuesday, leaving 16 people stuck in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees.
Mr Pugh and Miss Washington, and another man and a woman, suffered leg injuries.
Alton Towers said on social media that the park would remain closed on Thursday, as an investigation into the cause of the accident continued.
Nick Varney, chief executive of the park’s owners Merlin Entertainments, said: “A full investigation is now under way and we will continue to work closely with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive to better understand the cause of this terrible accident.”
