Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was driving around the stunning Arches National Park in Utah, US, in 2020 along with her husband Ludovic Michaud when the unthinkable happened. 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. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Opening arguments began Monday in Salt Lake City in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 25-year-old women's rights activist from Uganda who was killed by a wind-blown gate during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. "On behalf of the family, we are very appreciative of the judge's attention to detail, the time he spent working on this, and for the value he put on the loss to this family of Essie," added Littlepage. Family of newlywed woman 'DECAPITATED by metal gate' at Utah national Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, [] Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgment, saying it was the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. 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.. The family of Ugandan philanthropist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a traffic gate in front of her husband in Arches National Park in Utah, has been awarded $10.5m. Fox13 reports the metal. 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . 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. The ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. Family of Woman Killed at Arches National Park Awarded $10.5M 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. Something went wrong, please try again later. Nakajigos family and Michaud are suing the U.S. government for negligence as well as negligent infliction of emotional distress on the part of Michaud, who had to witness the grisly scene. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. He said he didnt deny Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person, but argued it was difficult to speculate what kind of work she would have gone on to do. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. A family is getting $10 million in the wrongful death of Ugandan human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a swinging metal gate in Arches National Park, Utah. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. What happened during the 2023 Utah Legislature. One of his regrets is not saying, "I love you," one more time. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. Michaud said he and Nakajjigo were two weeks shy of closing on a condo when the accident occurred, with hopes of owning a house down the road. Ms Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludo Michaud, 26, were driving out of the scenic parks carpark when wind caught the unlatched gate and the metal pole on top sliced through the side of their rental car and hit Ms Nakajjigo in the head and neck, killing her instantly. The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. "The National Park Service has, in fact, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous condition," the claim states, as reported by CBS Denver.. $270 MILLION LAWSUIT NBC wrote that Nakajjigo had come to the United States to further her education, participating in programs at Drexel University in Philadelphia as a Mandela Washington Fellow and at the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colo., where she was the recipient of a Luff Peace Fellowship., Michaud, originally of France, was uninjured in the accident, but, according to NBCs report, has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder., Donate to the newsroom now. Ludovic Michaud and his new wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were driving around Arches National Park on a windy spring day in 2020 when a metal gate whipped around, sliced through the passenger door of. It feels lonely, and thats hard. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. Arches National Park Being Sued For $270M After Gate Decapitated Guest 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. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. Michaud was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial over the June 13, 2020, death of his wife, Esther Nakajjigo. $10.5 million awarded to family of Denver woman killed at Arches 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. The lawsuit was filed about a year after Nakajjigo was killed in June 2020, when wind apparently caused the unsecured, metal gate on the parks main road to swing around and strike her and her husbands car, decapitating her. The ruling was. 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. Sign up today. Throughout the trial, attorneys debated estimates of Nakajjigos earnings potential. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. 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. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. She met Ludovic Michaud in Boulder, Colorado, when she went there for a leadership accelerator program in 2019, and the two of them married in March 2020. Michaud, Nakajjigo's husband, spoke about the intense trauma he's endured since his wife's death, including sleeplessness, nightmares and suicidal ideation. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 Judge Bruce Jenkins said he wants to "examine with care" all the information presented during the weeklong trial. But an attorney for her parents and husband said they were grateful for the judgment, which represents the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. Courtesy of. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. 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,. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. / CBS Colorado. 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. Nothing we can say makes up for your loss. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. 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. 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. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. A federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. will shell out more than $10 million in damages to the family of Esther Nakajjigo after she was killed in an accident at a Utah national park in. There is a lot of small things I miss.. 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 . He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. 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. But an attorney for her parents and husband said they were grateful for the judgment, which represents the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history, the Associated Press reported. New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks, Suspect in Dylan Rounds disappearance charged with murder. "The National Park Service has, in fact, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous condition," the claim states. 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. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. 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. "The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Uganda's 'Young Personality of the Year,'" the Post reported. Nakajjigo was. Family of Ugandan Awarded $10.5M for Utah Park Death All times AEDT (GMT +11). One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. FOX 13 Investigates: Family sues over death of woman killed in Arches The newly married Michaud and Nakajjigo took a weekend trip to Arches National Park as a welcome break after months of lockdown amid the pandemic, court documents said. The trip to the wind-weathered sandstone of Arches National Park was supposed to be a celebration a chance for Ludovic Michaud, of Denver, to show his new wife one of his favorite landmarks. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. Nakajjigo was a women's rights champion in her home country of Uganda; she founded a nonprofit community health center using her college tuition money, and created two reality TV shows centered around empowering women. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. SALT LAKE CITY The family of human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated in an accident in Arches National Park, has sued the National Park Service. 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 . For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Nelson, the governments attorney, has said an appropriate award would be $3.5million (2.9m). 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 The. But now, Michaud said, he returns to an apartment that doesn't feel like a home. The gate had been unsecured for the previous two weeks, despite national park requirements that prohibit gates from swinging, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. 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.. 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. 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. IE 11 is not supported. They had a courthouse ceremony in March, with plans to throw a big wedding in Uganda once it was safe to travel again. 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 gate reportedly smashed through the side of the car and struck Nakajjigo . "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Woman's decapitation at Arches National Park leads to $270M wrongful They argued that had employees installed the gate properly and secured it with an $8 padlock, Nakajjigos death could have been prevented, 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, on Monday. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, likened her to a nonprofit CEO for an American charity and said she would have likely made millions throughout her life. Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her car, killing her immediately as her husband sat in the seat next to her. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. National Park Service faces $270M wrongful death claim - USA TODAY I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. 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. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. Family of Ugandan philanthropist decapitated by traffic gate in Arches Ludovic Michaud, the husband of late human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, has filed a $270 million wrongful death administrative claim against the National Park Service, according to a. 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. Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! 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. All rights reserved. Denver woman killed during visit to Arches National Park I found her really interesting. The women's rights activist from Uganda was 25 when, during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020, she was beheaded by a metal gate that blew closed in strong winds and sliced through the side of the car she was riding in. The smaller projection takes into account only the averages of a statistical black woman, she said; while the higher projections factor in that Nakajjigo was a real, extraordinary person. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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. Nakajjigos remains were flown back to Uganda in August. The couple was leaving a park parking lot to get ice cream when a metal traffic control gate swung into the road, piercing the passenger side of the couples rental car and severing Nakajjigos head. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. The closing arguments came after five days of trial that included testimony from Nakajjigo's family, friends and mentors, as well as from bystanders who witnessed the accident. Family of Newlywed and Activist Decapitated at Utah's Arches National Family of Woman Decapitated by Swinging Gate at State Park Awarded $10.
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