Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. There was less than a second between when the gate started to move and when it struck the car and killed Nakajjigo, according to the report. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. 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. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. 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. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. 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. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. Legal Statement. 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. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. 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. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). Several dozen per day. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM Arches National Park is best known for its WebDENVER -- Ludovic Michaud has notified the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service that he intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit because of a crash at the entrance The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. Nakajjigo, who grew up in Uganda, had been recognized since she was a teenager for her work promoting health services and education for young women and girls. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. 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 Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. 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. 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. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. 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. 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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. 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. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. 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. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. 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 Legal Statement. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. 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 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. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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 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. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. They married about three months prior. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther 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. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. All rights reserved. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Provided by Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. One of the Denver couple's stops was Arches National Park near Moab. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. The park which has over 2000 arches that On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. or redistributed. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. In the fatal incident, a gust of wind apparently dislodged it and sent it smashing into the passenger side of the couples rented car. 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. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. 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. 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. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. 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. Both of Nakijjijo's parents, who listed their addresses as Kamapala, Uganda, have also filed wrongful death claims. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. The gate barely missed Michaud. 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. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. 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. WebThe photo in this video of the arch is Corona Arch and I dont its in Archs national park. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. "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. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. 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. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? 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. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. The pair married in March of this year. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. 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 "How do you measure someone like her? Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". 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. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. 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. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. 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. Market data provided by Factset. The 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. She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. Webcam Entrance Station Webcam Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. 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. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. 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. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Produced by the Discovery Channel, this video highlights the geological marvels and cultural history of both Arches and Canyonlands, with footage of the spectacular and challenging red rock wilderness surrounding them. 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. 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. WebEsther 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. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. 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. 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. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the 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. 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. "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. 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. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 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. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 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 received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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 gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. 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. 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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. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. All rights reserved. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. 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.