You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". 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. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020 when she, along with her new husband Ludovic Michaud, visited Utah. 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. just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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 2 injured, including officer, in Aurora crash, 2 hurt, including officer, in rollover crash, Documentary featuring local family coping with loss after suicide aims to open up conversations, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, Mandela Washington Fellowship program at Drexel University, Luff Peace Fellowship at Watson Institute, Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. 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. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. It's known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. 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. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. As they entered, high winds blew the park entrance gate a swinging pole back across the highway. "The National Park Service has, in face, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous conditions," says the claim. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com GRAND COUNTY, Utah A 27-year-old Denver man filed a wrongful death claim against the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) on Oct. 22 after it says his wife was decapitated by a vehicle gate at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah. 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. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was 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. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Shes got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after her. A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". They were married in March 2020 and headed to Arches on a belated honeymoon as soon as the park reopened from its coronavirus shutdown. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. 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.. 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. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. 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. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM The couple was on their way to get ice cream when "the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter," according to the claim, which was obtained by NBC News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 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. 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. Arches National Park is best known for its Please enter valid email address to continue. The family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. 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 Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. Webcam Entrance Station Webcam "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. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. 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. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. Courtesy 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. 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. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. The humanitarian had traveled to the US to further her studies and was awarded with the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Boulder in Colorado. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! All rights reserved. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling Opening statements previewed how the trial will hinge less on varying accounts of the accident and instead focus on Nakajiigo's biography and earning potential, which is used to calculate a portion of the damages. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. 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. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. 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. 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. In opening statements Monday in Salt Lake City, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigo's family said they were seeking $140 million in damages from the government. 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. 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. 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.". Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. 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 "I had a ton of flashbacks. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 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. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. 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.. I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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 Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. WebDenver 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 Join the conversation! ", "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. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo 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. 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. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. She and Michaud were married in March. Nakajjigo grew up in Uganda and at 17 was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women shed donated her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to young women. 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. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. The three people involved were related, Brown said. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. Listen online or download the iHeart App. In an email to The Associated Press, National Park Service spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo expressed sympathy for Nakajjigos family, friends and those whose lives she touched but did not address the wrongful death claim. / CBS Colorado. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. The lawsuit, adds CBS, observed that the activists death could have been prevented if Arches National Park had simply purchased an $8 padlock for the unsecured gate. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Park staff told investigators the gate was usually left unsecured, and that typically the gates own weight kept it in place, so it was not locked in place by any other means. Legal Statement. "I was a couple of inches from dying, but I didnt, and right now I have a mission: Its to make sure what shes done continues," said Michaud. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. Legal Statement. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. All rights reserved. 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.