She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. All rights reserved. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. 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. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. They married about three months prior. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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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. 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. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. 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. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. 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. Arches National Park is best known for its "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.". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Several dozen per day. The gate barely missed Michaud. Last updated: August 16, 2022 Was this page helpful? NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. 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. 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. 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. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. While growing up in Uganda, Nakajjigo used her college tuition funds to open up a nonprofit community education center in her home country. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. 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. 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. 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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! "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. The tragic accident is now the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit Michaud and Nakajjigo's family are pursuing, in which they argue that the U.S. Park Service was negligent and did not maintain the gates at the entrances and exits to the parks, leading to Nakajjigo's death. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. 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. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 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. 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. WebDENVER The family of a Denver woman, who was killed when the entrance gate at Arches National Park swung into the passenger compartment of a rental car and decapitated her, A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. 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. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. As they entered, high winds blew the park entrance gate a swinging pole back across the highway. WebLudovic Michaud and his new wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were driving around Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when a metal gate whipped around, sliced through the WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. 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 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 "I had a ton of flashbacks. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. 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 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was 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. 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. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. "I was a couple of inches from dying, but I didnt, and right now I have a mission: Its to make sure what shes done continues," said Michaud. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. 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. 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. The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. 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. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. 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. 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. 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. 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 Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. 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. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. 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, wrote Chang, who plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected.. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. "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. 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. Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com 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. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. However, in his 10-page decision, Jenkins observed that the case was somewhat unusual, insofar as neither the victim nor the plaintiffs were U.S. citizens. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Legal Statement. 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. 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. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. Market data provided by Factset. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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 Courtesy WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. 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. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. 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. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. No An official form of the United States government. 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. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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. More Videos Next up in 5 WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. She was named the country's ambassador for women and girls soon after, and passionately advocated to reduce teen pregnancy and increase educational opportunities for Ugandan women. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. 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. 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. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. All rights reserved. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The suit was filed on June 8. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. "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. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. 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. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. The National Park Service and Arches National Park are accused of not securing the gate, which was installed to swing in the wrong direction and was being held open by a flimsy metal tab that was worn down and rounded, according to the claim. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. We just dont want this to ever happen again, Michaud said in an interview Thursday. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. The 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit 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. 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 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". 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. Legal Statement. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. Her husband, Ludovic Michaud, and her parents in October filed a $270 million wrongful-death claim a precursor to the formal lawsuit alleging that the gate should have been secured to prevent it from swinging into the road. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. One of the Denver couple's stops was Arches National Park near Moab. 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. 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 are here. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? 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. 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. 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 The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. In opening statements Monday in Salt Lake City, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigo's family said they were seeking $140 million in damages from the government.