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. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. 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. 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. 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 and Michaud were married in March. 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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. One of the Denver couple's stops was Arches National Park near Moab. Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Michaud, 26, were driving to get ice cream during a camping trip June 13 when a metal gate blew closed in strong winds and sliced through the side of their car like a hot knife through butter, according to the administrative claim, which was filed in October. 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. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. 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. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. The three people involved were related, Brown said. 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. 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. Video 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 sheriffs report. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her husband of three months when the gate swung across the road and struck their car on June 13, 2020. She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. Two peopledied Friday while hikinginArches National Park in Utah. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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.. 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Example video title will go here for this video. November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM 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. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. They were married in March 2020 and headed to Arches on a belated honeymoon as soon as the park reopened from its coronavirus shutdown. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. Deborah Chang, the Los Angeles-based attorney representing Michaud, claimed there was nothing he could do to swerve out of the way of the gate that killed his wife and missed him by a hair. 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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. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. I think thats what they meant to show but I could be wrong A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. 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 The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. 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. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. 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. ", "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. Nakajjigo, who grew up in Uganda, had been recognized since she was a teenager for her work promoting health services and education for young women and girls. 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. Family photo. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. 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. 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 park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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Ludovic Michaud says that his wife, 25-year-old Esther Nakajjigo, was decapitated when a metal gate swung into their 2020 Chevy Malibu as they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, according to the claim. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. The gate barely missed Michaud. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. 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. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. 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. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. "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. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. Market data provided by Factset. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. 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.. (CCA-BY-2.0). 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. 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. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Nakajjigo gained national attention in Uganda and created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to the claim. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. 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 The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. At 17, She was named an Ambassador for Uganda's Women girls by nonprofit organization IREX. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Michaud, 27, were driving out of the park during a camping trip on June 13 when strong winds blew the metal gate into the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter, according to the administrative claim, which was filed in October. 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. WebThe 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. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. All rights reserved. She's done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives," she said. 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. 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. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. "I had a ton of flashbacks. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. "She's got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after A lot of people just want to continue that because that's what she would have wanted from us.". 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. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). WebThis incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. 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. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. The park which has over 2000 arches that Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". 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. "We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. Provided by Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 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.
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arches national park gate death video