Alton Towers operator to be sentenced for Smiler crash
Alton Towers operator Merlin fined £5m over Smiler crash
(about 1 hour later)
Alton Towers's operator Merlin is due to be sentenced later for the crash on the £18m Smiler rollercoaster.
Alton Towers operator Merlin Attractions has been fined £5m after admitting health and safety breaches over The Smiler rollercoaster crash.
Sixteen people were injured in the crash last June, including two teenage girls who needed leg amputations.
In April, Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act.
In November the theme park said the accident was caused by "human error." Prosecutors have argued fault was with the employer not individuals.
The court heard on Monday how engineers failed to notice a carriage that had stopped midway around the 14-loop ride.
They assumed there was a problem with the computer and over-rode the stop mechanism setting another train in motion and into the empty carriage.
Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, had argued workers had not been been given a system to follow which would safely deal with the issue.
He said engineers on the day had not read or seen the ride's operating instructions.
He also pointed out there were estimated winds on the day of the crash 45mph but the manufacturers manual stated the ride should not be operated at wind speeds above 34mph.
Simon Antrobus, defending Merlin, had argued the operator was the most reputable in the field. He also said the company accepted the crash should never have happened.
The Smiler reopened in March.
Since the crash, a number of safety changes have been made including improved access and a policy of closing the ride when winds exceed 35mph.
