Alton Towers Smiler crash victim Leah Washington shares defiant bikini snap on Marbella holiday as she admits ‘my life and body have changed for ever’
Brave Leah Washington was riding in the front carriage of the Smiler with her boyfriend Joe Pugh when it smacked into another cart
A VICTIM of the Alton Towers Smiler rollercoaster crash has shared a defiant bikini snap while on holiday in Marbella.
Brave Leah Washington – who had to have her left leg amputated after the Smiler crash in June 2015 – posted a defiant message alongside a picture of her in a pool.
Leah, 19, was riding in the front carriage with her boyfriend Joe Pugh when it smacked into another cart and left them trapped for more than four hours.
Joe suffered shattered kneecaps in the accident.
The couple are now on holiday with Leah taking to social media to say: “Just after my accident body confidence was one of my biggest problems.
“My body and life had changed for ever and it is something that I'm still getting used to.
“Going on holiday and wearing a bikini in front of so many other people was one of my biggest fears but now I'm starting to feel confident in my own skin (and bikini lol) and realise that every individual looks great in their own way.
“And don't worry about what other people think it's irrelevant.”
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The image has received more than 2,000 likes with Instagram users declaring her an “inspiration”.
Leah and Joe have shared a series of holiday snaps enjoying their break in the sunshine.
The accident in June 2015 was put down to human error and Alton Towers' owner firm Merlin Attractions was fined £5million for health and safety breaches.
An investigation found an engineer had wrongly restarted the Smiler ride while a stationary carriage was on the track in front of it.
Judge Michael Chambers QC described the accident as a “catastrophic failure” and said it was entirely avoidable.
Others hurt included Vicky Balch, 20, from Lancashire, who had six rounds of surgery in a bid to save her leg before needing an amputation.
