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. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 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. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. The After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. All rights reserved. Suspect arrested after 6 stabbed in downtown L.A. 3 arrested for nearly $1 million in stolen student, Carjacking suspect shot in wild chase in L.A. County, Newport Beach home dangling after cliffside collapse, Over $38M stolen from low-income SoCal families, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. In the fatal incident, a gust of wind apparently dislodged it and sent it smashing into the passenger side of the couples rented car. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. or redistributed. 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 We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. 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. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. 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. 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. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. She and Michaud were married in March. Video Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther 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. 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. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM Denver man files suit after wife's death at National Park - KMGH Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. A metal gate at Arches National Park killed a woman. Its now the She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. Trial begins Ugandan woman's death in Arches National Park A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. WebThe family of a womens rights activist who was killed in a gruesome accident at a national park is suing a US agency over her tragic death. 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. 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 Esther Nakajjigo beheaded by gate at Utahs Arches National Park "How do you measure someone like 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. 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. Courtesy 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. 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. Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! They married about three months prior. Denver man files claim after wife decapitated by Utah park gate WebThe photo in this video of the arch is Corona Arch and I dont its in Archs national park. 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. Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. 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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. She was decapitated. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. 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 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. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. Last updated: August 16, 2022 Was this page helpful? "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. 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. More Videos Next up in 5 Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. 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. 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.". death Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. 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. 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. 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 NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. "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.". She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. 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