Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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 A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was 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. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. "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. 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. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. Twist after newlywed decapitated by gate at national park - Yahoo! death Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. 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. 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. An activist's dreams 'were about to come true.' Then, a horrific Ryan studied neuroscience and has spent the last several years working as an operations manager in transportation logistics. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. The young Ugandan human rights activist was decapitated by an unsecured metal gate on the periphery of Arches National Park. Legal Statement. 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. 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. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. She described Nakajjigo as a prominent women's rights activist who 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. 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 While growing up in Uganda, Nakajjigo used her college tuition funds to open up a nonprofit community education center in her home country. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. In the courts ruling, Judge Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Nakajjigos husband, $700,000 to her mother, and $350,000 to her father. 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. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. Please enter valid email address to continue. Newlywed killed by swinging gate at Arches, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, Newlywed killed by swinging gate at Arches National Park, 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Bay Area honeymooners say snorkel boat abandoned them off Maui coast, At least 26 killed in fiery train crash in Greece, If it was your child, when would you give up? Mother searches for 5-year-old son swept away in January floods, Online fundraiser emerges for Brentwood father who died while kayaking. 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. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. Arches National Park is best known for its RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. 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. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. They were married in March 2020 and headed to Arches on a belated honeymoon as soon as the park reopened from its coronavirus shutdown. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". All rights reserved. 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 Video "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. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. 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. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. 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. 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.. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. 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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. Its near it but not there. 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. In the fatal incident, a gust of wind apparently dislodged it and sent it smashing into the passenger side of the couples rented car. CBS News death Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. 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. She and Michaud were married in March. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. Denver newlyweds trip to Arches National Park ends with wifes Trial begins Ugandan woman's death in Arches National Park Esther Nakajjigo beheaded by gate at Utahs Arches National Park 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 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. Produced by the Discovery Channel, this video highlights the geological marvels and cultural history of both Arches and Canyonlands, with footage of the spectacular and challenging red rock wilderness surrounding them. 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. Esther Nakajjigo a human-rights advocate from Uganda who was studying at a leadership institute in Colorado was killed instantly in the June 13 incident. Example video title will go here for this video. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. Chang said she plans to file a formal lawsuit if the claim is rejected. A newlywed couples road trip to Arches National Park in Utah ended in tragedy when a metal gate at the park exit swung across the road and decapitated the 25-year-old woman as she rode in a car. She was living in Boulder, Colorado, and attending the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators, when she met Michaud. She was best known for a reality show in Uganda that reached millions of viewers. Denver woman killed during visit to Arches National Park She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. 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. 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. 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. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. In his ruling, Judge Jenkins said that the death was gruesome and overwhelmingly shocking.. 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. "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.". 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