That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling into the bowl area near Delicate Arch. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. Nakajjigo, originally from Kampala, Uganda, used her university tuition money to start a nonprofit organization that provided free reproductive health care to girls and young women when she was just 17. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong Opening statements previewed how the trial will hinge less on varying accounts of the accident and instead focus on Nakajiigo's biography and earning potential, which is used to calculate a portion of the damages. Legal Statement. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. Several dozen per day. The pair married in March of this year. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. As Nakajjigo and her husband were leaving Arches National Park, a strong gust of wind swung the gate with sufficient force to slice through the passenger door of the couples vehicle, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat in the drivers seat. Nakajjigo and Michaud, a French-born tech solutions architect, met on a dating app last year and tied the knot at a courthouse ceremony in March. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Web6 Esther Nakajjigo was a Ugandan human rights activist and newlywed wife when the 25-year-old was killed at Arches National Park in 2020, decapitated by an unsecured gate that is The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The National Park Service has, in fact, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous condition for its park invitees, the claim reads, noting three other instances since 1988 in which people in cars were killed by such gates. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. While the Nakajjigo family had initially sought more in compensatory damages, their attorneys celebrated the judgment, saying that it isby farthe largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Nakajjigo, who grew up in Uganda, had been recognized since she was a teenager for her work promoting health services and education for young women and girls. Nakajjigo grew up in Uganda and at 17 was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women shed donated her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to young women. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. The family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. Provided by According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. In an email to The Associated Press, National Park Service spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo expressed sympathy for Nakajjigos family, friends and those whose lives she touched but did not address the wrongful death claim. They married about three months prior. The gate barely missed Michaud. WebThe United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in a 2020 accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didn't have a Bachelor's degree. Nakajjigo was born in Kampala, Uganda, and used her university tuition money to start a nonprofit community health care center when she was 17, providing free reproductive health services to girls and young women, according to a biography included in the claim. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was The couple was on their way to get ice cream when "the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter," according to the claim, which was obtained by NBC News. Decapitated human rights activists family wins $10 million lawsuit after accident at Utah park, Denver newlyweds trip to Arches National Park ends with wifes death, Family awarded $10.5 million for newlywed decapitated by metal gate at Arches National Park in Utah. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Denver woman Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud, were visiting Arches National Park in mid-June when a freak accident left Nakajjigo dead. However, she eventually became the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda, which emphasized womens empowerment, educational attainment, and equitable access to health care. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. United States attorneys do not dispute that park officials shouldered blame, but argued the amount the family should be awarded is far less and called into questions the ways in which the damages being sought were calculated. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. We are unapologetic in our dedication to informing the public and unafraid to call out those who are more focused on profits than peoples safety. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. By Thomas Peipert, Associated Press The family of a womens rights activist from Uganda has filed a more than $270 million wrongful death and personal injury claim against the National Park Service after she was decapitated by an unsecured gate at Utahs Arches National Park. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. "I don't know how I could stand to see another thing like that happen, and I just want to make sure we do whatever we can to avoid, to save another life. According to the claim, 25-year-old Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated while sitting in the passenger seat of a car that was exiting Arches National Park. The humanitarian had traveled to the US to further her studies and was awarded with the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Boulder in Colorado. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. Video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was in the front passenger seat as they drove toward the gate at about the same speed as other vehicles, according to a sheriffs report. WebSALT LAKE CITY Ludovic Michaud, of Denver, was driving around the scenic red rock landscapes of Utah's Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when something Elon Musk Wins Funding Secured Shareholder Lawsuit, Blog vs YouTube Over Other Websites: How to Choose, Behind the Story of Ghostbed vs. Purple Mattress Lawsuit, Investigation Reveals Goodyears Dunlop D402 Tires Have Caused Dozens of Motorcycle Accidents, Amputees Third Attempt at Holding Medical Personnel Responsible Pays Off. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, Family sues after newlywed is killed by swinging gate at Arches National Park, 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Bay Area honeymooners say snorkel boat abandoned them off Maui coast, At least 26 killed in fiery train crash in Greece, If it was your child, when would you give up? Mother searches for 5-year-old son swept away in January floods, Online fundraiser emerges for Brentwood father who died while kayaking. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. 7 CHILDREN INJURED IN NEW YORK BUS CRASH THAT DAMAGED HOME, The family's lawsuit claims when the national parks reopened in April 2020 after being shuttered due to COVID-19, rangers at the national park in Utah didn't secure the gate in place, which in effect "turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo.". Arches National Park, which has more than 2,000 natural stone arches,closed Delicate Arch on Friday for a about six hours before it reopened, the parksaid on Twitter. The Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. There was less than a second between when the gate started to move and when it struck the car and killed Nakajjigo, according to the report. Esther Nakajjigo died on June 13 after a metal gate swung into a car she and her husband were in and sliced het head off Credit: Handout. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Lawmakers targeting hospital facility fees, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Both of Nakijjijo's parents, who listed their addresses as Kamapala, Uganda, have also filed wrongful death claims. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. WebHuman rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020, when a traffic control gate blew into her rental car at Arches National Park in the US state of Utah. Attorney Deborah Chang, who filed the claim on behalf of Michaud, as well as Nakajjigos parents, wrote that the National Park Service has for years used entrance and exit gates made of metal poles with spear-like sharp ends, and they were known to swing into roadways when left unsecured. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Michaud, 26, were driving to get ice cream during a camping trip June 13 when a metal gate blew closed in strong winds and sliced through the side of their car like a hot knife through butter, according to the administrative claim, which was filed in October. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. Webcam Entrance Station Webcam GRAND COUNTY, Utah A 27-year-old Denver man filed a wrongful death claim against the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) on Oct. 22 after it says his wife was decapitated by a vehicle gate at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah. She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. (CCA-BY-2.0). NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Michaud, 27, were driving out of the park during a camping trip on June 13 when strong winds blew the metal gate into the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter, according to the administrative claim, which was filed in October. "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. The newlyweds were driving during a camping trip on June 13, when a strong gust of wind blew an unsecured metal gate that sliced through the side of their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. A YOUNG activist hailed as a "future Princess Diana or Oprah" for her work was decapitated in a gruesome accident while she and her husband were hiking in Arches National Park. No An official form of the United States government. Market data provided by Factset. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". All rights reserved. WebEsther Essie Nakajjigo was 25 years old when an unsecured gate inside Arches National Park swung open and impaled the vehicle she was a passenger in, killing her. It's known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. Park staff told investigators the gate was usually left unsecured, and that typically the gates own weight kept it in place, so it was not locked in place by any other means. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. Denver woman Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud, were visiting Arches National Park in mid-June when a freak accident left Nakajjigo dead. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. The three people involved were related, Brown said. Courtesy Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. By his verdict, Judge Bruce Jenkins has shown the world how the American justice system works to hold its own government accountable and greatly values all lives, including that of Esther Nakajjigo, a remarkable young woman from Uganda, attorney Randi McGinn said in a statement announcing the award. Ludovic Michaud was driving around the scenic red rock landscapes of Utah's Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when something unthinkable happened: A metal gate whipped around, sliced through the passenger door of his car and decapitated his new 25-year-old wife, Esther Nakajjigo. By the time Nakajjigo left Uganda to pursue a fully-funded leadership course in Denver, she had raised enough money to build health care facilities in her hometown. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. More Videos Next up in 5 just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. After requesting that the family leave the courtroom, she recounted the moment Michaud realized his wife had been killed, when he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw she was dead. Michaud, who lived with his Ugandan wife in Denver, Colorado, wasn't injured in the accident, but he told the news station he was completely covered in his wife's blood. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. Esther Nakajjigo a human-rights advocate from Uganda who was studying at a leadership institute in Colorado was killed instantly in the June 13 incident. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. DENVER (CBS4) - The family of a woman killed while visiting Arches National Park is hoping they can change the dangerous conditions that lead to her death and continue the philanthropy she inspired around the globe. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her husband of three months when the gate swung across the road and struck their car on June 13, 2020. 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Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Employees knew or should have known that winds strong enough to carve stone are certainly strong enough to blow an unrestrained metal pipe gate into the path of an oncoming vehicle, Chang wrote in the claim. DENVER (AP) The family of a womens rights activist from Uganda has filed a more than $270 million wrongful death and personal injury claim against the National Park Service after she was decapitated by an unsecured gate at Utahs Arches National Park. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. Legal Statement. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. RELATED: Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, RELATED: Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident, SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. Attorney Deborah Chang, who filed the claim on behalf of Michaud, as well as Nakajjigos parents, wrote that the National Park Service has for years used entrance and exit gates made of metal poles with spear-like sharp ends, and they were known to swing into roadways when left unsecured.. Nakajjigo gained national attention in Uganda and created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to the claim. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All rights reserved. WebDenver newlyweds trip to Arches National Park ends with wifes death Family awarded $10.5 million for newlywed decapitated by metal gate at Arches National Park in Utah Join the conversation! WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. Family photo. Michaud says he wants to keep her legacy going, but he also wants the gates at National Parks and forests across the U.S. to be safe for visitors. We just dont want this to ever happen again, Michaud said in an interview Thursday. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. "She's got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after A lot of people just want to continue that because that's what she would have wanted from us.". 2 injured, including officer, in Aurora crash, 2 hurt, including officer, in rollover crash, Documentary featuring local family coping with loss after suicide aims to open up conversations, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, Mandela Washington Fellowship program at Drexel University, Luff Peace Fellowship at Watson Institute, Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. WebDENVER -- Ludovic Michaud has notified the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service that he intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit because of a crash at the entrance
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