Alton Towers Crash Victim Runs For The First Time Since Disaster
| Updated: 10 Feb 2026
The teenager who lost her leg in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers three years ago has run again for the first time.
Leah Washington had her leg amputated aged just 17 after being crushed in a car on the Smiler ride in 2015.
Three years on, Leah, from Barnsley, has posted a video online showing how far she has come.
She can be seen running alongside her physiotherapist aided by a prosthetic leg.
In a tweet, Leah wrote: “This is my first time running since my accident, it felt amazing”.
Five people were seriously injured in the Smiler crash at the Staffordshire theme park.
Merlin Attractions was fined £5m when two carriages collided.
Vicky Balch, then 19, also lost a leg and 14 other people were injured.