This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2 injured, including officer, in Aurora crash, 2 hurt, including officer, in rollover crash, Documentary featuring local family coping with loss after suicide aims to open up conversations, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, Mandela Washington Fellowship program at Drexel University, Luff Peace Fellowship at Watson Institute, Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. 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. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com 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 familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. or redistributed. 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 gate barely missed Michaud. WebLudovic Michaud and his new wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were driving around Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when a metal gate whipped around, sliced through the Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. WebThe family of Ugandan philanthropist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a traffic gate in front of her husband in Arches National Park in Utah, has been awarded $10.5m. "The end of the gate impaled the car like a lance, and literally beheaded his newly-wed bride right in front of him.". 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. 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. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". "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. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. While growing up in Uganda, Nakajjigo used her college tuition funds to open up a nonprofit community education center in her home country. 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. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. 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. 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 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. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. Market data provided by Factset. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Several dozen per day. The 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. WebThe photo in this video of the arch is Corona Arch and I dont its in Archs national park. Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. 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 NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. 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. "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. While the Nakajjigo family had initially sought more in compensatory damages, their attorneys celebrated the judgment, saying that it isby farthe largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. 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. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. 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. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. By his verdict, Judge Bruce Jenkins has shown the world how the American justice system works to hold its own government accountable and greatly values all lives, including that of Esther Nakajjigo, a remarkable young woman from Uganda, attorney Randi McGinn said in a statement announcing the award. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. 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. All rights reserved. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. 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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. 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. Family photo. 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. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. 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. 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. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. 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. 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. "I had a ton of flashbacks. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he 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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. 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 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. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. 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. Last month, Nakajjigos husband, Ludovic Michaud, and her parents filed a $270 million wrongful-death claim a precursor to a formal lawsuit alleging that the gate should have been secured to prevent it from swinging into the road. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. 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. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. 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 Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. 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. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. 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. Listen online or download the iHeart App. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. 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. 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. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. The webcams below provide views from either end of the Arches National Park entrance road. She and Michaud were married in March. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. 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. They said claims by the familys lawyers that Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time of her death, was on track to be a non-profit CEO shortly were too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. 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. Passionate about international politics and world affairs, hes an avid traveler with a keen interest in the connections between South Asia and the United States. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. 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The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. 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. She was decapitated. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. 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 At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. They married about three months prior. She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. 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.. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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 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. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. 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.". just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. All rights reserved. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? Both of Nakijjijo's parents, who listed their addresses as Kamapala, Uganda, have also filed wrongful death claims. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". 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. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. 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. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. 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. Legal Statement. 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.. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. 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. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". Webcam Entrance Station Webcam 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. One of the Denver couple's stops was Arches National Park near Moab. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. 4 hospitalized in San Pedro beach shooting, Angelino Heights plagued by street racing, residents, SoCal man convicted of rape, molestation attacks, Weekend clouds make way for sunshine by midweek, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, CA awaits key decisions from reparations task force, LAPD looking for autistic man last seen in downtown, Ducks assistant coach diagnosed with melanoma, LAPD searching for driver in fatal San Pedro hit-and-run, 1 killed amid turbulence event on business jet, Grizzlies Morant to miss Clippers, Lakers games, Festival of Whales returns to Dana Point Harbor, AlienCon attracting space enthusiasts to Pasadena, Folks near Jack Daniels facility see whiskey fungus. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her.

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