Couple's horror at fairground crash

A YOUNG mother has praised her boyfriend who dragged her from the mangled wreckage of a crashed fairground ride as her five-year-old daughter looked on in horror.

Zoe Nolan and Steven Rogers, who were both hurt in the accident at the Big Night Out event in Long Melford and are now suffering recurring nightmares, said they would be seeking compensation.

And Miss Nolan, 24, said her daughter, Courtney-Rose, was traumatised by the sight of her covered in blood with head wounds and broken ribs.

The young mother said she was fortunate to escape the accident without more serious injuries and praised the quick-thinking of her 20-year-old boyfriend who rescued her from the wrecked ride.

She said: “I can't really explain what happened as I was knocked out by some kind of metal mechanism.

“I remember going round and round and then it was getting very fast when all of a sudden there was a really loud noise.

“I then remember my partner rescuing me by dragging me from the car towards the paramedics. Stephen is my hero. I thought I was sweating a lot but I was covered in blood. The whole thing was horrific and it could have been so much worse - Stephen could have lost his legs and I could have lost my life.”

Five people needed hospital treatment after the Hellraiser ride crashed off its rails and trapped Miss Nolan and Mr Rogers in one of the ride's cars. A dozen or so more passengers were described as the “walking wounded”.

Mr Rogers, a self-employed carpenter who was yesterday on crutches, said the accident had left him unable to sleep properly.

He said: “ “All I could see was the carts coming closer and closer towards us and then hit us in the back. I cut my leg and Zoe headbutted the cart in front. We feel very lucky and it doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened.”

Initial fears that Miss Nolan had suffered serious spinal injuries proved unfounded and she was released from West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, on Saturday morning.