Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. Arches National Park NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. 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. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. or redistributed. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. 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. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. All rights reserved. A gavel. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. Last updated: August 16, 2022 Was this page helpful? After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. 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. "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.". 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. 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. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. "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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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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 A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. 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. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. 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. 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 "The end of the gate impaled the car like a lance, and literally beheaded his newly-wed bride right in front of him.". Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. All rights reserved. The Arches National Park is best known for its Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. 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. 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 National Park Service did not respond to an email seeking comment, and the media relations voicemail inbox was full and could not accept messages. 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 Arches National Park accident: Esther Nakajjigo's family awarded She was decapitated. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. Several dozen per day. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. 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. Arches National 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.. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). 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. "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 struggling with that," Michaud said. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Legal Statement. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. 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. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. 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. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. 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. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. 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. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. 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. National Park An activist's dreams 'were about to come true.' Then, a horrific 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. 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. 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 All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 (CCA-BY-2.0). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. WebThe photo in this video of the arch is Corona Arch and I dont its in Archs national park. Video 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. 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. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. 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. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. gate Webcam Entrance Station Webcam We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. 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 claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? 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. No An official form of the United States government. 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. 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. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. Arches National Park