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Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. 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. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to 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. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. 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. 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. She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. The family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. 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. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. 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. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. As they entered, high winds blew the park entrance gate a swinging pole back across the highway. 7 CHILDREN INJURED IN NEW YORK BUS CRASH THAT DAMAGED HOME, The family's lawsuit claims when the national parks reopened in April 2020 after being shuttered due to COVID-19, rangers at the national park in Utah didn't secure the gate in place, which in effect "turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo.". 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. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. 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. 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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. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. The pair married in March of this year. Its near it but not there. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. We just dont want this to ever happen again, Michaud said in an interview Thursday. 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, Both of Nakijjijo's parents, who listed their addresses as Kamapala, Uganda, have also filed wrongful death claims. 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. just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. 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 Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. 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. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. The three people involved were related, Brown said. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. Nakajjigo gained national attention in Uganda and created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to the claim. 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. 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. 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. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. They were married in March 2020 and headed to Arches on a belated honeymoon as soon as the park reopened from its coronavirus shutdown. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 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.. 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. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. 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. RELATED: Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, RELATED: Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident, SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS. 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. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. The suit was filed on June 8. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? 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. 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. Listen online or download the iHeart App. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. 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. 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 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. 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. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. "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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. 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. ", "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. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. Provided by This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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. 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. The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. 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