This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. ", "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. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. 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. 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! Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essie's projects. 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. 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. or redistributed. 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The three people involved were related, Brown said. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. 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. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. 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. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. Listen online or download the iHeart App. She was decapitated. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. 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. 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 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. 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. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. 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. "The end of the gate impaled the car like a lance, and literally beheaded his newly-wed bride right in front of him.". He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. 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 The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 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. 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. Several dozen per day. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. "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. 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. 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. 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. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. 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 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. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Market data provided by Factset. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. 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. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. 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. 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. 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. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. "I had a ton of flashbacks. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM 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. 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. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. 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. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. 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. 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.. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. Legal Statement. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
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