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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Tom Davidson

Lockdown forces Alton Towers Smiler crash survivor to postpone wedding funded by accident

A survivor of the Alton Towers Smiler crash has had to postpone her dream wedding because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Vicky Balch - who had to have her leg amputated - had planned to wed her fiancé in Italy in September.

But the 24-year-old took to Instagram today to reveal that the nuptials had been postponed, leaving her 'absolutely gutted'.

Vicky has been engaged to Dino Manciocchi since December 2018.

They are the latest couple to cancel or move their big day in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Vicky Balch took to Instagram to explain how her wedding had been postponed (Instagram)

 

Beautician Vicky, from Preston, was one of 16 injured when the Smiler rollercoaster hit an empty carriage on the tracks in June 2015. 

Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, was fined £5million over the incident.

Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout after losing her right leg in the crash.

Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout (Instagram)

 

She was using the money to fund her dream wedding. 

The bride-to-be said: "I had to face that this was going to be something I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life. What normal 24-year-old has to think about any of that?

"I don’t think I’m ever going to get real closure. I need to go to the same physio my entire life, the same appointments my entire life. But at least now I can live my life."

The compensation money is earmarked primarily for physio, treatments and prosthetic limbs for the rest of her life.

Dino, who runs pizza oven company Valorioni, proposed in December 2018 during a romantic retreat at Mottram Hall Hotel in Cheshire.

Vicky was seen shopping for a wedding dress last June.

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