Arches National A YOUNG activist hailed as a "future Princess Diana or Oprah" for her work was decapitated in a gruesome accident while she and her husband were hiking in Arches National Park. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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 She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. 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. Family of Ugandan philanthropist decapitated by traffic gate in She was decapitated. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong 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. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. WebThe United States will pay family members of a Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in a 2020 accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal 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 gate barely missed Michaud. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. 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. National 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. Webcams 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. Trial begins over death of Ugandan activist who was decapitated by Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. Arches National Park accident: Esther Nakajjigo's family awarded Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was Legal Statement. 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Arches National Park, notes CBS News, had just re-opened recreation following a decrease in coronavirus cases. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling into the bowl area near Delicate Arch. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. 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. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. 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. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! The pair married in March of this year. 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. A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. 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. WebLudovic 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 Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. Courtesy WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. 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. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. 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 Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. 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! Arches National Park is best known for its Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. The park which has over 2000 arches that or redistributed. "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Denver man files claim after wife decapitated by Utah park gate Market data provided by Factset. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. Denver man files suit after wife's death at National Park - KMGH "I had a ton of flashbacks. 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. 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.". He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Decapitated human rights activists family wins $10 million lawsuit after accident at Utah park, Denver 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. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. WebWidower Struggles With Loss After Wife Decapitated By Gate In Arches National Park 1,777,542 views Nov 12, 2020 30K Dislike Save CBS Colorado 98.1K subscribers 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. An activist's dreams 'were about to come true.' Then, a horrific The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. 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. We just dont want this to ever happen again, Michaud said in an interview Thursday. More Videos Next up in 5 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 three people involved were related, Brown said. Listen online or download the iHeart App. 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. 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. A metal gate at Arches National Park killed a woman. Its now the In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. No An official form of the United States government. "How do you measure someone like her? 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. WebThey said claims by the family's lawyers that Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time of her death, was on track to be a nonprofit CEO shortly were too speculative to be used as a basis for WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. 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. Gate This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. 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WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. She was named the country's ambassador for women and girls soon after, and passionately advocated to reduce teen pregnancy and increase educational opportunities for Ugandan women. 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. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate future Oprah or Princess Diana 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. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. As they entered, high winds blew the park entrance gate a swinging pole back across the highway. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. 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. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. WebDENVER The family of a Denver woman, who was killed when the entrance gate at Arches National Park swung into the passenger compartment of a rental car and decapitated her, At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Please enter valid email address to continue. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. Attorneys representing the victims family asked the court to award an estimated $140 million, whereas the U.S. government argued that $3.5 million would be more appropriate and comparable to similar awards in similar claims. 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. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown.