(CCA-BY-2.0). / CBS Colorado. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. Lindsay Clancy's murder of 3 kids shows cruel trick psychosis plays, Train derailment in Springfield, Ohio as residents ordered to shelter in place, Rape survivor 'sobbed seeing Gabby Petito bodycam vid after same cop did nothing', Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, A 25-year-old activist was beheaded in a freak accident while enjoying a trip to Arches National Park in Utah, 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. 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. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com The ", "Such metal pipe gates have been known to move when left unsecured, swing to the traveled part of the roadways, and penetrate into vehicles," the claim argues. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. 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 Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos.. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against The lawsuit, adds CBS, observed that the activists death could have been prevented if Arches National Park had simply purchased an $8 padlock for the unsecured gate. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. or redistributed. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was Provided by She described Nakajjigo as a prominent women's rights activist who rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women on issues such as education and healthcare. Example video title will go here for this video. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. Ludovic Michaud says that his wife, 25-year-old Esther Nakajjigo, was decapitated when a metal gate swung into their 2020 Chevy Malibu as they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, according to the claim. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The webcams below provide views from either end of the Arches National Park entrance road. For want of an $8.00 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good; a young woman influencer who was destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates or Oprah Winfrey, according to the claim, which is a precursor to a formal lawsuit. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. The claim also argues that NPS regularly uses gates constructed "out of metal pipes with spear-like sharp ends," and that Arches National Park had "a set of these metal pipe gates with lance-like sharp ends at the entrance/exit of the park. 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. 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. Produced by the Discovery Channel, this video highlights the geological marvels and cultural history of both Arches and Canyonlands, with footage of the spectacular and challenging red rock wilderness surrounding them. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. 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. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. 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. "How do you measure someone like her? Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The United Nations Population Fund gave her a Woman Achiever Award when she was 17, and she was named Ugandas Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. 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. I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong Last updated: August 16, 2022 Was this page helpful? 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. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. 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. Legal Statement. He said he didn't deny Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person, but argued it was difficult to speculate what kind of work she would have gone on to do. The United States government will pay more than $10 million to the family of a Ugandan human rights activist who was decapitated in a 2020 accident at Arches National Park in Utah. "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. All rights reserved. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. Michaud's claim alleges that if the gate had been properly installed or an $8 padlock had been placed to secure it from swinging, the world wouldn't have lost "a young woman influencer destined to become our society's future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey. Market data provided by Factset. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. 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. 4 hospitalized in San Pedro beach shooting, Angelino Heights plagued by street racing, residents, SoCal man convicted of rape, molestation attacks, Weekend clouds make way for sunshine by midweek, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, CA awaits key decisions from reparations task force, LAPD looking for autistic man last seen in downtown, Ducks assistant coach diagnosed with melanoma, LAPD searching for driver in fatal San Pedro hit-and-run, 1 killed amid turbulence event on business jet, Grizzlies Morant to miss Clippers, Lakers games, Festival of Whales returns to Dana Point Harbor, AlienCon attracting space enthusiasts to Pasadena, Folks near Jack Daniels facility see whiskey fungus. WebAccording 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. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. 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. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. WebWidower Struggles With Loss After Wife Decapitated By Gate In Arches National Park 1,777,542 views Nov 12, 2020 30K Dislike Save CBS Colorado 98.1K subscribers 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. 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. WebThe family of Ugandan philanthropist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a traffic gate in front of her husband in Arches National Park in Utah, has been awarded $10.5m. WebThe family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. 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. The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. 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. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. 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.". Attorneys representing the victims family asked the court to award an estimated $140 million, whereas the U.S. government argued that $3.5 million would be more appropriate and comparable to similar awards in similar claims. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. Please enter valid email address to continue. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. 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. The gate barely missed Michaud. "Our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good; a young woman influencer who was destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey," the claim says. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. 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. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. 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 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. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. They were married in March 2020 and headed to Arches on a belated honeymoon as soon as the park reopened from its coronavirus shutdown. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Passionate about international politics and world affairs, hes an avid traveler with a keen interest in the connections between South Asia and the United States. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. She was decapitated. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 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. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. Newlywed killed by swinging gate at Arches, 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, Newlywed 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. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. In 2018, she participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship program at Drexel University, and she was also the recipient of the 2018 Luff Peace Fellowship at Watson Institute. They said claims by the familys lawyers that Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time of her death, was on track to be a non-profit CEO shortly were too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. 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. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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. A gavel. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. She and Michaud were married in March, and the two traveled to Arches to celebrate the one-year anniversary of when they first met on a dating app. In the fatal incident, a gust of wind apparently dislodged it and sent it smashing into the passenger side of the couples rented car. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. She and Michaud were married in March. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". McGinn said if her life hadn't been cut short that Nakajjigo's trajectory suggested she would have gone on to become a non-profit CEO who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. 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. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling More Videos Next up in 5 Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. 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. WebThey said claims by the family's lawyers that Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time of her death, was on track to be a nonprofit CEO shortly were too speculative to be used as a basis for For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said.
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