rollercoaster crash at alton towers

[SoljaBonita]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32980354?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=icf

[FannyFifer]

Feck sake no need for the gratuitous speculation, your friend at the hospital should keep her mouth shut.

[Polarbearpolarbear]

That's quite possibly the biggest ever piece of bullshit I've ever read on here, Ballet.

[CattyCatCat]

Agree it would have made the news by now if true. I'm hoping it was no worse than multiple fractures (awful though that still is) and all will recover fully.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Well ive read in the press (daily mail) that one guy has lost a leg.

[dominogocatgo]

I hope they turned off the godawful music and sound effects pretty sharpish.

[HollyJollyDillydolly]

Your friend at the hospital shouldn't be disclosing that sort of information to anyone
Poor people having a lovely day out this is the last thing you'd expect. :(

[queentroutoftrouts]

the telegraph website are also reporting an amputation, so sad.

[CattyCatCat]

sounds like really bad news then

I wonder if the results of the investigation into why and how it happened will be made public. I wonder if it will take a few years and have to go through court before an outcome is disclosed. Whilst it is no comfort in ten circumstances, at least Alton Towers will be properly insured and so all injured will (eventually) be compensated and have necessary care and living arrangements funded. That is no way comes close to the devastation of losing a limb in a horror crash though, I know.

Alton towers immediately apologised for the injuries and distress and are said to be 'devastated'. That is at least a human response and far preferable to the 'no apology' Thomas Cook approach.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I don't think it will go through court from an admitting liability point of view. Alton towers are at fault whether it be human error, training failure, systems failure. They will have to hold their hands up and take the consequences inc significant compensation.

There may be court/legal action from a health and safety prosecution.

Id have thought that an investigation will be made public. It's in the interests of AT to make the results public as otherwise how can they reassure the public? If they make the results public they can say that yes this happened because of xyz, we've learntlesson and these are the steps we've taken to ensure it doesn't happen again.

[CattyCatCat]

I guess there might also be a complicated legal action between AT and the ride Manufacturers/installers depending on what the investigation throws up as being the likely or possible cause of the tragedy.

Like you say, I hope the outcome is made public as it will help the public to regain confidence in AT. I usually love going there but not feeling in any mood to at all now this summer.

[balletgirlmum]

To be fair, if isn't say anything until I had heard it from 3 different unrelated people so emergency services people are talking. I first heard of amputation yesterday afternoon but really really hoped it was just rumour

[AnyoneForTennis]

Emergency services people should be sacked then!! Disgusting behaviour

[Moln]

It's not necessarily emergency service people talking though. Could very well be spectators speculating what's happening.

[IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou]

Emergency services people should be sacked then!! Disgusting behaviour

Yes, god forbid they want to discuss their horrifying day saving lives with a friend or colleague.....

The media will be giving details and names out no doubt - it's not a state secret.

[SistersofPercy]

her friend at the hospital said the front four had to have their legs amputated whilst still on the ride.

which is interesting considering 2 went to the Royal Stoke and 2 to Coventry.

[Blu]

It wouldn't be reported in the news if an amputation had to be carried out in situ. I have no idea what the details are here, and neither do any of us (beyond that it was reported I the Telegraph that one person lost a leg and it was circulating from the site yesterday...unverified, of course) but it is a feature of terrible accidents and trauma that sometimes there is little left of a limb and / or that freeing someone from very tangled wreckage necessitates not being able to save a badly damaged limb. I have spoken to several people in Orthopaedic waiting rooms who have been in this situation.

'life changing injuries' often means a limb or sight or mobility is lost.

All very sad, whatever happened t the poor victims of this accident.

[Hulababy]

So shocking.

Been on the ride a couple of times, and loved it. Although staff often seem young, they seem well trained and well versed with the safety stuff. I ave never felt unsafe on any of the rides there, even when stuck on Air for 20 minutes facing the floor.

Sadly rides at all theme parks suffer break downs and close for periods of time during normal running times. These are normal in my experienc.e.

But this is something else. So many things seem to have give wrong. Normally a number of unoccupied carriages have to complete the whole circuit, following a stoppage, before any can go with people on. There are mechanisms in place to prevent more than one carriage being in the same part of the track at any one time. And more. Something has seriously gone wrong. Human error or mechanical error? All awful.

I guess it all took so long due to having to ensure those injured were immobolised, made stable, etc first.

I hope those injured get the medical and emotional support they require as soon as possible.

[AnyoneForTennis]

Ohhhh so patient confidentiality doesn't apply then iKnow ?

It DID when I worked for the emergency service.

[pettywitchinlondon]

What a horrible story, wishing the best for those affected. I'm sure someone has a stat but probably roller coasters are safer than cars.

Legally who would be at fault? At who run the ride or the people that designed/built it?

[ilovesprouts]

its terrible news hope all recover asap i dont go on thease sort of rides anyhow but even so now. i was in an accident just over two years ago broke my back and smashed my femur and still not recoverd 100% i never will as i have mobility problems now so very sad :(

[AyeAmarok]

Could be various people/companies witch.

If it was human error by an AT staff member then AT well be vicariously liable. But what an awful thing for the employee to have on their conscience for the rest of their life if they've made a mistake.

If it's a failure in design then could be the company that designed it.

If it's a maintenance problem then they may have contracted that out, so could be AT or the maintenance company.

Doesn't bear thinking about but there is always a chance it was done maliciously too.

Horrendous.

[Northernlurker]

Patient confidentiality means that no, you can't come home and talk to all and sundry about the horrible thing you've seen or heard of. You can come home and say what a rough day it was but you don't need to disclose medical details. If you work for me and I discover that you have been giving out confidential information then I will take action of a disciplinary nature. Just like my boss would against me.
If you're 25 feet up on a fairground ride in dire straits you need to completely and utterly trust the people helping you. If they then go home and gossip to their pals about how much blood there was and what state your limbs were in they are betraying that trust. Same applies to every cleaner, receptionist, nurse, porter and HCA you then meet at the hospital.

[pettywitchinlondon]

I don't think it could be human error or with intent. Surely these rides must be designed to stop anything stupid like this done to remove human errror? Its not like driving a train, the people working these rides are usually young

[catswag]

so shocked at something like this happening at somewhere as well known as AT

horrendous

some of the witness comments seemed overly graphic

[catswag]

what I do not understand why was another carriage sent off when there was one stuck on the track???