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. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. 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. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Webcam Entrance Station Webcam 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. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. 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. 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. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. 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.. Several dozen per day. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. 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. 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. A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. 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. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. 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. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. 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. 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. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 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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. No An official form of the United States government. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. Legal Statement. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. 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 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. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. 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. 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. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. "The end of the gate impaled the car like a lance, and literally beheaded his newly-wed bride right in front of him.". 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. 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 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. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. 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 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. 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. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. They married about three months prior. 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. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. ", "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. 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 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.. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. 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. 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. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. She and Michaud were married in March. The three people involved were related, Brown said. 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, Chang wrote in the claim. 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. / CBS Colorado. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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 You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. 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. 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. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. 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. 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. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. Market data provided by Factset. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. (CCA-BY-2.0). 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Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling 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. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. 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 The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. 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 Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. 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. 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. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. 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 Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. 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. A gavel. 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. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. 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. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. 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. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. 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 WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. 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 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. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 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. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. We just dont want this to ever happen again, Michaud said in an interview Thursday. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. 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.

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