The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. On June 13, 2020, Nakajjigo, who was riding in the passenger seat as her husband drove them out of the park, was suddenly decapitated when the triangular, metal gate swung around and sliced into their rental car. Trial opens in death of woman killed by metal gate in Utah | wltx.com The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020. On Monday, a federal judge ruled Ludovic Michaud, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo, will receive $9.5 million, while Nakajjigo's mother and father were awarded $700,000 and $350,000, respectively, per the Salt Lake Tribune. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. Credit: AP FILE - Delicate. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Ms Nakajjigo met Mr Michaud after she relocated to the US, where she was awarded the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Boulder in Colorado. ", In 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 and cut her head off, according to a wrongful death administrative claim obtained by NBC News. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en cliquant sur le lien Tableau de bord sur la vie prive prsent sur nos sites et dans nos applications. The. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. On June 13, she was needlessly decapitated by a metal gate that swung into the couples car as they were exiting the Arches parking lot on their way to go get ice cream, according to a wrongful death administrative claim exclusively obtained by NBC News. SALT LAKE CITY Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud has tortured himself with a lot of "what ifs?" 'Shadow pandemic': Women, girls bear unequal share of Covid-19 burden, U.N. official warns, National parks begin to reopen across the country. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM "We want you to know, on behalf of the United States, this accident and Essie's death was the responsibility of the United States," Nelson told Michaud. Denver man files suit after wife's death at National Park - KMGH They had wanted three children. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Family of Ugandan activist who was decapitated at UT national park gets Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. Instead, Michaud met his wife's family -- who traveled to the States from Uganda -- for the first time just before the trial started. Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at Nakajjigo was not sure where she wanted to work whether it was in the U.S., back in Uganda or elsewhere but Michaud was willing to follow her wherever she could continue to make the most impact. This decision serves as a reminder of the importance of proper maintenance and safety measures in our national parks, so as to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, Michaud said in a statement to CBS News on Monday. The French national said he and his wife, who had only been married for three months and lived in Denver, Colorado, had been on a hike and had lunch before driving out of the park. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. After seeing a pregnant 14-year-old girl die during a difficult delivery, Nakajjigo decided to use her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to females aged 10-24. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. The family of a woman beheaded by a metal gate in front of her husband at a national park has launched a lawsuit for $140million (115m). All rights reserved. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. By age 25, when she died, she had accomplished more than most people do in an entire lifetime and had much more to do with her life, court documents state. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax in the two-plus years since his wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, was hit and killed by an unsecured gate while the couple was leaving Arches National Park. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death While much less than they were initially seeking, the family was clearly pleased with the results -- with attorney Zoe Littlepage calling the amount "the largest verdict from a federal judge in Utah history.". Human 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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Ms McGinn described Nakajjigo as a prominent womens rights activist who rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women around issues such as education and healthcare. Drenched in his wifes blood, Michaud instinctively jumped out of the slowly moving car after impact, then got back in to put it in park. The National Park Service has not commented in relation to the new lawsuit but has previously released a statement expressing sympathy for the young womans death. What if he hadn't suggested the trip to Arches? She was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. Having received numerous international accolades and awards, Nakajjigo came to the United States to further her education, where she met Michaud a video streaming technology solution architect via a dating app. What if he hadn't suggested the trip. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. SALT . When she was 17, she donated her university tuition money to start a private, nonprofit community health center that she named the Princess Diana Health Centre. 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 . Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Family of Ugandan philanthropist decapitated by traffic gate in Arches The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. The family of a human rights activist killed in a freak accident at Utah's Arches State Park won $10.5 million in damages from the U.S. government. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park All this building towards the $140million in damages. Arches National Park Being Sued For $270M After Gate Decapitated Guest Denver woman's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. Esther Nakajjigo was beheaded after the wind whipped a metal gate round cutting into the passenger side of the car, Esther Nakajjigo with her husband Ludovic Michaud, A picture of the gates that led to the young woman's death. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 72 Join Insider . The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Yet park employees could have done a lot, the claim alleges, including taking note during inspections of the gate that it posed a danger and putting an inexpensive padlock on it. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death As they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, heavy winds apparently blew the metal entrance gate into the passenger side of the vehicle, striking and killing Nakajjigo. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. Esther Nakajjigo was born in poverty in Kampala, Uganda, and rose to become a celebrated human rights activist through her work focusing on preventing teen pregnancy. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. At other points, he dabbed at his eyes; he lived like a student before meeting Nakajjigo, he said, but she turned their apartment into a home. They argued that had employees installed the gate properly and secured it with an $8 padlock, Nakajjigos death could have been prevented, NBC News reported. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. When he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw his beheaded wife. Lindsay Whitehurst/AP According to the claim, Michaud, of Denver, and Nakajjigo, a womens rights proponent from Uganda, were exiting the Arches parking lot on June 13 when a metal gate on the entrance road near the visitors center swung into the couples car, causing Nakajigo to be needlessly decapitated.. John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . 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,. The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. According to NBC, the claim was served Oct. 22, and alleges that if park employees had properly installed the gate to not swing into oncoming traffic or placed an $8 padlock on the gate to secure it from moving in the breeze, the world would not have lost a young woman influencer destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey.. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . McGinn argued that the smaller projections were based on categories of evaluation not allowed for under Utah law. Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. The 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. They wed in a courthouse ceremony in March 2020, three months before her death, and had plans to have a big ceremony in Uganda when it was safe to travel again. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. The family says under federal park rules, similar gates should be secured, but the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo had been unlatched for weeks, Fox 13 reports. According to a court filing, the National Park Service and Arches National Park created a lethal and undetectable danger with the gate, which turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo.. Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated at Arches National Park in Utah after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her car, killing her immediately as her husband sat in the seat next to her. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. What happened during the 2023 Utah Legislature. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Photo: Esther Nakajjigo/Twitter. A woman who had married her husband only three months ago has died after a horror crash saw a car park gate swing through the couple's car and cut off her head. As recreation areas in eastern Utah reopened that summer, Michaud was excited to take his new wife to Arches National Park, and the two drove there in June. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than . Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan activist who'd moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder, died June 13, 2020, while visiting the park with her husband of two Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her . Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Esther Nakajjigo was driving with her newlywed husband on their honeymoon in Arches when an open road gate was swung by strong winds into their rental car. The large monetary damages being sought on behalf of Michaud and Nakajjigos parents are a reflection of the suffering they have gone through plus the loss of Nakajjigos future income and fundraising abilities, Chang said. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Newlywed woman decapitated by car park entrance gate blown open in high Ms Nakajjigo worked to improve education and rights for women and teenage girls in her home country of Uganda and advocated to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. According to the official statement from Wilson Jaga, the communications head for the office of the Ugandan Women and Girls, Nakajjigo was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park due. The familys lawyer Deborah Chang said the gate struck the car so suddenly and was so well blended into the surrounding landscape the honeymooning couple had no chance of avoiding it. 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 US National Parks Service seeking . in the two-plus years since his wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, was hit and killed by an unsecured gate while the couple was leaving Arches National Park. The family of a women's rights activist from Uganda has filed a $270 million administrative claim against the National Park Service after she was killed by an . One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. It alleges that if park employees had properly installed the gate to not swing into oncoming traffic or placed an $8 padlock on the gate to secure it from moving in the breeze, the world would not have lost a young woman influencer destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey.. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. 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 now at the center of a wrongful death trial. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud) Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. Family of Woman Killed at Arches National Park Awarded $10.5M In the opening statements of the wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos family recounted the moment Michaud realised his wife had been killed. But when she met Michaud in June 2019 in Aurora, Colorado, through a dating app, he just saw her as a smart person who loved to laugh. Ms Chang described the part of the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo as being like a metal spear or a lance and hit the car in literally a split second. Seven people have been rushed to hospital after severe turbulence on a flight led to an emergency landing. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Donate to the newsroom now. Arches accidental beheading trial ends, but verdict is still pending Family of Woman Decapitated by Swinging Gate at State Park Awarded $10. Trial begins for woman decapitated at Arches National Park Esther Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. In pink tops and white pants, women celebrate free period products becoming available in Utahs state buildings, Proposal to boost Utah bar licenses gets smaller with another round of cuts by lawmakers, Moab, Park City cry foul as Utah lawmakers target rules for vacation homes. "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan women's rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together, he said. Denver woman killed during visit to Arches National Park Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. "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 society's future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates or Oprah Winfrey," read the initial claim from Nakajjigo's husband and family. One of his regrets is not saying, "I love you," one more time. She 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, and had successfully raised funds to build health care facilities in her hometown. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. Berndt also said her team can take into account only Nakajjigo's education and earning history at the time of her death, exclusive from the money she raised for charitable organizations. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. Accident claims Ugandan activist Nakajjigo in US - New Vision The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020. Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. . At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. I couldnt work properly for a couple of months.

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