Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo 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, attorney Randi McGinn said in a statement announcing the award. 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. Arches National Park is best known for its The tragic accident is now the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit Michaud and Nakajjigo's family are pursuing, in which they argue that the U.S. Park Service was negligent and did not maintain the gates at the entrances and exits to the parks, leading to Nakajjigo's death. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. No An official form of the United States government. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 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 A gavel. 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. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. "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. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. She married Michaud in March, just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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. 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.". The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. 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. 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 Fox News Flash top headlines for December 6. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the lawsuit said. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. 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 They married about three months prior. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. WebThe photo in this video of the arch is Corona Arch and I dont its in Archs national park. 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. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. In opening statements Monday in Salt Lake City, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigo's family said they were seeking $140 million in damages from the government. She and Michaud were married in March. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Legal Statement. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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.. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. "It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, it's going to happen again," he said. This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. Courtesy Provided by 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. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. She was decapitated. 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. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. Opening statements previewed how the trial will hinge less on varying accounts of the accident and instead focus on Nakajiigo's biography and earning potential, which is used to calculate a portion of the damages. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. "How do you measure someone like her? "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". "The trail up to Delicate Arch has reopened for use. Michaud's claim alleges that if the gate had been properly installed or an $8 padlock had been placed to secure it from swinging, the world wouldn't have lost "a young woman influencer destined to become our society's future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey.
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