Gate This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. WebDENVER -- Ludovic Michaud has notified the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service that he intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit because of a crash at the entrance National Park 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 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. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. 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Legal Statement. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. Denver man files suit after wife's death at National Park - KMGH Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. 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. 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. 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. The suit was filed on June 8. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. All rights reserved. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. "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. Video 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. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". 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. 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. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! 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. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". "She's got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after A lot of people just want to continue that because that's what she would have wanted from us.". She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. 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. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 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. 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. Courtesy Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. As Nakajjigo and her husband were leaving Arches National Park, a strong gust of wind swung the gate with sufficient force to slice through the passenger door of the couples vehicle, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat in the drivers seat. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. / CBS Colorado. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 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.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to A metal gate at Arches National Park killed a woman. Its now the 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. She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. or redistributed. This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. 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. 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. 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. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. Trial begins Ugandan woman's death in Arches National Park Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. 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. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. 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. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. A gavel. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Market data provided by Factset. Provided by 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. Family of Woman Decapitated by Swinging Gate at State Park WebThe photo in this video of the arch is Corona Arch and I dont its in Archs national park. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. 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. Trial to begin for human rights activist killed by gate in Arches In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. 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She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. 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