What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. 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. Michaud was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. National Park Service faces $270M wrongful death claim - USA TODAY "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. 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. 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. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. It's really a full-time job," he said. Nakajjigos remains were flown back to Uganda in August. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. Esther Nakajjigo beheaded by gate at Utah's Arches National Park | news 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 . 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M - CBS News Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. 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. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud) Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the. It alleges that if park employees had properly installed the gate to not swing into oncoming traffic or placed an $8 padlock on the gate to secure it from moving in the breeze, the world would not have lost a young woman influencer destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey.. The gate narrowly avoided Michaud, who was left covered head to toe in his wife's blood. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM 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. 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. Family of Newlywed and Activist Decapitated at Utah's Arches National The family are arguing that the US Park Service was negligent and did not properly maintain the gates at the entrances and exits to the parks, leading to their loved one's death. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. Nakajjigo had been celebrated for using money earmarked for her college tuition to instead open a nonprofit community health center in Uganda at age 17. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). Family of activist decapitated by swinging gate at Utah park is awarded Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. Picture: Handout The family of a women's rights activist who was decapitated in an accident on a trip with her new husband has sued the US government agency responsible for the park where she died. Woman's decapitation at Arches National Park leads to $270M wrongful Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Having received numerous international accolades and awards, Nakajjigo came to the United States to further her education, where she met Michaud a video streaming technology solution architect via a dating app. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and, on the edge of Arches, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. 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 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. 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. "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 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. By his verdict, Judge Bruce Jenkins has shown the world how the American justice system works to hold its own government accountable and greatly values all lives, including that of Esther Nakajjigo, a remarkable young woman from Uganda, Randi McGinn, the familys attorney said in a statement. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death All this building towards the $140million in damages. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. "We want you to know, on behalf of the United States, this accident and Essie's death was the responsibility of the United States," Nelson told Michaud. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. SALT . Nakajjigo was. The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife. Nakajjigo received numerous international accolades and awards and 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, Colorado, where she was the recipient of a Luff Peace Fellowship. The family of a Ugandan young girl child activist, Esther Nakajjigo who died in the United States of America (USA) have asked government to help them repatriate her body, to be accorded a decent burial. 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. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . 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. By age 25, when she died, she had accomplished more than most people do in an entire lifetime and had much more to do with her life, court documents state. The family of a human rights activist killed in a freak accident at Utah's Arches State Park won $10.5 million in damages from the U.S. government. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's. The familys lawyer Deborah Chang said the gate struck the car so suddenly and was so well blended into the surrounding landscape the honeymooning couple had no chance of avoiding it. 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.. Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. "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. The Associated Press 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 $10 million in. "I'll respond as soon as I'm able," Jenkins said. Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. Esther Nakajjigo was born in poverty in Kampala, Uganda, and rose to become a celebrated human rights activist through her work focusing on preventing teen pregnancy. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo told NBC News in an exclusive interview. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. On June 13, she was needlessly decapitated by a metal gate that swung into the couples car as they were exiting the Arches parking lot on their way to go get ice cream, according to a wrongful death administrative claim exclusively obtained by NBC News. What happened during the 2023 Utah Legislature. 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. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. At age 17, she used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, which provided free reproductive health services to young women and girls. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. It feels lonely, and thats hard. He spoke, too, about the difficulty of sending his wife's body to Uganda in a cardboard box; how only her hands, one of them broken, were visible at her funeral; and how he moved to a new apartment after the accident, unable to bear the reminders of the life he'd shared with Nakajjigo. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. The lawsuit filed by Ludovic Michaud, of Denver, claims his wife Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated while in the passenger seat of a car exiting Arches National Park.
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