Alton Towers victim Joe Pugh 'not angry at park'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33444210

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A teenager whose knees were shattered in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers has said he does not blame the theme park.

Joe Pugh, from Barnsley, was one of five people on board the Smiler seriously injured on 2 June.

He was on the front row of the ride with girlfriend Leah Washington, 17, who has since had her leg amputated.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Mr Pugh, 18, said he did not feel any anger towards Alton Towers.

"How they've been with me since the accident, they have been unreal," he said.

"You could not thank them enough.

"Obviously when health and safety checks get released and we find out what actually happened I might feel a different emotion but until then I don't feel angry.

"I don't want to point the blame at anybody until something gets released."

Mr Pugh also said he would never go on a rollercoaster again.

"Maybe in ten 15 years I might change my mind but at this moment, definitely not," he said.

Mr Pugh said he turned down painkillers after the crash but had two paracetamol when he got into an ambulance.

He said he initially feared he could be paralysed but realised he could feel his toes.

Medics had told Mr Pugh he would always struggle with stairs as a result of his injuries. The toilet and settee in his bungalow have been raised to make life easier for him, he said.

Daniel Thorpe, a 27-year-old assistant hotel manager from Buxton, Derbyshire, 20-year-old Vicky Balch from Leyland in Lancashire, and Chandaben Chauhan, 49, of Wednesbury, West Midlands, also suffered injuries.

Merlin Entertainments, which owns the park, has confirmed all those on board at the time of the crash will receive compensation.