Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". The ", "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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). 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. 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.. 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 ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. They married about three months prior. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. All rights reserved. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in 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. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Arches National Park is best known for its NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.". 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. "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. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. 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. 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. She was decapitated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. 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. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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 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. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. 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. The park which has over 2000 arches that Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. Provided by 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. 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 Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. 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. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. 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.. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. or redistributed. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. One of the Denver couple's stops was Arches National Park near Moab. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? 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. A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The pair married in March of this year. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. 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. Legal Statement. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. 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. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. 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. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. 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 did not respond to an email seeking comment, and the media relations voicemail inbox was full and could not accept messages. Listen online or download the iHeart App. Market data provided by Factset. Webcam Entrance Station Webcam "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. 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. 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. 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. More Videos Next up in 5 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "I had a ton of flashbacks. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. 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. 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. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. "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," the claim says. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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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 gate barely missed Michaud. As they entered, high winds blew the park entrance gate a swinging pole back across the highway. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. 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 NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. 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 young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of 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. 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 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. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.