"The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". 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. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. 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. She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. "I had a ton of flashbacks. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. 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. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Fiery tanker crash kills driver, burns Maryland homes, Trapped Californians rescued from snow, helped by neighbors, Palo Alto: Woman killed in single-vehicle motorcycle crash, Dear Abby: I love my wife but I think I better get divorced, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: She has gone too far with the remote work option, Bobcat seen using Highway 17 wildlife crossing hours after it opens, Authorities: Man bombed PG&E transformers in South San Jose, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Dear Abby: I was always in the back seat, one way or another, William backed Harry and Meghan's eviction, prefers brother never 'set foot in England again', Map in Murdaugh murder case: 5 deaths and a mysterious shooting, Ask Amy: I didn't ask for what I wanted, and I'm sad they couldn't guess, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Widower Struggles With Loss After Wife Decapitated By Gate In If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. National Park According to CBS News, Esther Essie Nakajjigo was killed after a metal gate at Arches sliced through the passenger side of the vehicle driven by her newlywed husband. Courtesy At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. She was decapitated. 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'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. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. 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. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. / CBS Colorado. 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. 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. 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 National Park Service did not respond to an email seeking comment, and the media relations voicemail inbox was full and could not accept messages. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. 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 Arches National Park 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. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. Arches National Park is best known for its 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. ", "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. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Trial to begin for human rights activist killed by gate in Arches The The pair married in March of this year. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. They married about three months prior. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. 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. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Market data provided by Factset. Several dozen per day. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park 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. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. National Park gate They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. 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. 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 also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. 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.