You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Several dozen per day. The webcams below provide views from either end of the Arches National Park entrance road. A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. 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. just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. 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. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. 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. 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. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. 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. 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.. 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. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. 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. 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. Arches National 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. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. Family of Ugandan philanthropist decapitated by traffic gate in 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. The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. 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. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. 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 married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. Newlywed killed by swinging gate at Arches National Park Trial begins over death of Ugandan activist who was decapitated by Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. 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. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. 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 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. 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. Legal Statement. 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. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. 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. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Trial begins for woman decapitated at Arches National Park Esther Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. 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 Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. A metal gate at Arches National Park killed a woman. Its now the 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. 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. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. 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. (CCA-BY-2.0). or redistributed. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. Courtesy A gavel. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please enter valid email address to continue. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Arches National Park is best known for its At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. 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.