In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. 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. Trial begins for woman decapitated at Arches National Park Esther 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. 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. Denver woman killed during visit to Arches National Park A newlywed couples road trip to Arches National Park in Utah ended in tragedy when a metal gate at the park exit swung across the road and decapitated the 25-year-old woman as she rode in a car. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. 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. 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 park which has over 2000 arches that 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. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. 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. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. A gavel. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Family photo. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. "I had a ton of flashbacks. Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. According to CBS News, Esther Essie Nakajjigo was killed after a metal gate at Arches sliced through the passenger side of the vehicle driven by her newlywed husband. 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. 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. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. Market data provided by Factset. 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 I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. Nakajjigo worked on fundraising to open a hospital in an underserved part of Kampala, Uganda's capital, became a philanthropic celebrity and immigrated to the United States for a fellowship at the Boulder, Colorado-based Watson Institute for emerging leaders. U.S. Government to Pay $10m to Family of Ugandan Activist Killed Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. 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. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. 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. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. All rights reserved. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year,' the Denver Post reported in a 2020 article detailing Nakajjigos death. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. Arches National Park is best known for its Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. Arches National "The National Park Service has, in face, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous conditions," says the claim. No An official form of the United States government. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. While growing up in Uganda, Nakajjigo used her college tuition funds to open up a nonprofit community education center in her home country. 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.. 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 Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. "How do you measure someone like her? just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. 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. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. 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. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. Activist, 25, hailed as future Oprah or Princess Diana is 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. 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. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. 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. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. 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. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Denver newlyweds trip to Arches National Park ends with wifes 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. 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. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. The National Park Service did not respond to an email seeking comment, and the media relations voicemail inbox was full and could not accept messages. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Michauds attorneys also said the federal government was aware of the dangers, citing a 1980 accident in which a man was impaled by an unsecured gate as he rode in the back of a pickup in Californias Stanislaus National Forest. FOX 13 Investigates: Grisly decapitation of ambassador at Arches / CBS Colorado. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Esther Nakajjigo beheaded by gate at Utahs Arches National Park She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. 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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. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. 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. 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. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. Video "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. Trial begins Ugandan woman's death in Arches National Park All rights reserved. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. 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. 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. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. They married about three months prior. The three people involved were related, Brown said. 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. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. WebVideo 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 Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. Deborah Chang, the Los Angeles-based attorney representing Michaud, claimed there was nothing he could do to swerve out of the way of the gate that killed his wife and missed him by a hair. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. 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. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. CBS News Arches National Park accident: Esther Nakajjigo's family awarded 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. 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. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM Last updated: August 16, 2022 Was this page helpful? WebIn 2020, Ludovic Michaud was driving with his 25-year-old wife Esther Nakajjigo out of Utah's Arches National Park to get ice cream on June 13 when a metal gate swung into the car WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. 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. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, tragically died on June 13 after a metal gate swung into the car she and her 26-year-old husband Ludovic Michaud were driving as they exited the parking lot of the Utah landmark. The pair married in March of this year. The couple planned to throw a big wedding in Uganda once the coronavirus pandemic - instead, Michaud is now in mourning and hopes that his claim will save others from experiencing a similar pain. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. future Oprah or Princess Diana Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The webcams below provide views from either end of the Arches National Park entrance road. 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. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. 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. 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.
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