For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. 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. 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. 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. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. Provided by RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? 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. just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. Michauds attorneys also said the federal government was aware of the dangers, citing a 1980 accident in which a man was impaled by an unsecured gate as he rode in the back of a pickup in Californias Stanislaus National Forest. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. 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This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. 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 societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates or Oprah Winfrey, according to the claim, which is a precursor to a formal lawsuit. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. 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 National Park Service did not respond to an email seeking comment, and the media relations voicemail inbox was full and could not accept messages. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. 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! Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. "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. The suit was filed on June 8. 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, sliced through the passenger door of his car and decapitated his new 25-year-old wife, Esther Nakajjigo. 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. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. (CCA-BY-2.0). Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. or redistributed. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. RELATED: Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, RELATED: Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident, SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Local stories from 9NEWS. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. He said he didn't deny Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person, but argued it was difficult to speculate what kind of work she would have gone on to do. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. The three people involved were related, Brown said. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, 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. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Webcam Entrance Station Webcam The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. "The end of the gate impaled the car like a lance, and literally beheaded his newly-wed bride right in front of him.". 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. 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. / CBS Colorado. 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. 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.. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. 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.. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Arches National Park is best known for its 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. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". 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. WebThe 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. The couple planned to throw a big wedding in Uganda once the coronavirus pandemic - instead, Michaud is now in mourning and hopes that his claim will save others from experiencing a similar pain. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. WebHuman 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. The gate barely missed Michaud. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. Both of Nakijjijo's parents, who listed their addresses as Kamapala, Uganda, have also filed wrongful death claims. 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 "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. The webcams below provide views from either end of the Arches National Park entrance road. 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. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. 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. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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 "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. Park staff told investigators that the gates own weight usually kept it in place, according to a report from the Grand County sheriffs office. WebThe family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Web6 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 Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. According 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. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. We are unapologetic in our dedication to informing the public and unafraid to call out those who are more focused on profits than peoples safety. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. 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.". They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. 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. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. However, she eventually became the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda, which emphasized womens empowerment, educational attainment, and equitable access to health care. DENVER (AP) 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. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. 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.
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