A couple who were seriously injured in the Smiler rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers say they can "never move on" from it, but still "couldn't be happier".
Now married, Leah Washington-Pugh, then 17 and 18-year-old Joe Pugh, from South Yorkshire, were on a date when their Smiler carriage rammed into another at the Staffordshire theme park, 10 years ago.
Leah's legs were crushed, forcing the amputation of her left leg above the knee whilst both of Joe's kneecaps were shattered and some of his fingers severed in the crash, they said was "equivalent to driving into a car at 90mph".
The crash, on 2 June 2015, led to operator Merlin being fined £5m, with compensation paid to the 16 victims.
Speaking through their legal representatives, Stewarts Solicitors, the pair said despite going through some dark times they had "definitely come a long way" since the crash.
Remembering the day, the couple said they had made a beeline for the ride as soon as they had entered the park.
Technical difficulties had delayed them getting on, but "I never thought anything of it," said Leah.
After eventually setting off, their carriage had "gone around a corner and crashed straight into the empty cart," she explained.
"I think if I remember rightly if you compare it to a car accident it was the equivalent of driving into a car at 90 miles an hour, it was pretty severe," added Joe.
"And then I looked down at my legs and realised that something wasn't right," said Leah.
"I looked at Joe and Joe's little finger was hanging off."
