Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. Ms Chang described the part of the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo as being like a metal spear or a lance and hit the car in literally a split second. Later, his chin trembled as Nelson delivered the government's apology. At age 17, Nakajjigo. Esther Nakajjigo was a prominent Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in Utah's Arches National Park in 2020. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. 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. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. 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 . Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. . Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. In 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 and cut her. 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. He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and has struggled with flashbacks. As recreation areas in eastern Utah reopened that summer, Michaud was excited to take his new wife to Arches National Park, and the two drove there in June. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. McGinn argued that the smaller projections were based on categories of evaluation not allowed for under Utah law. "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. in the two-plus years since his wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, was hit and killed by an unsecured gate while the couple was leaving Arches National Park. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. Michaud was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial over the June 13, 2020, death of his wife, Esther Nakajjigo. There have been gate accidents across the country, including another one on federal government property in 1980 in which a camper in California was impaled by a U.S. Forest Service road closure gate. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. I found her really interesting. 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. Monday's closing arguments focused heavily on the differences in testimony made by several economic experts, two of whom projected that Nakajjigo would have earned at least $9 million in her lifetime and the third who estimated Nakajjigo would have made between about $750,000 and $938,000. Esther Nakajjigo's horrified husband was driving when a metal gate was whipped round in the wind and cut into the car where she was sitting and beheading her in Arches National Park in Utah, US. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax 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. National parks begin to reopen across the country. 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. As they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, heavy winds apparently blew the metal entrance gate into the passenger side of the vehicle, striking and killing Nakajjigo. Drenched in his wifes blood, Michaud instinctively jumped out of the slowly moving car after impact, then got back in to put it in park. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. At other points, he dabbed at his eyes; he lived like a student before meeting Nakajjigo, he said, but she turned their apartment into a home. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 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. 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. The family of a womens 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. The family of a woman beheaded by a metal gate in front of her husband at a national park has launched a lawsuit for $140million (115m). The 25-year-old human rights activist and newlywed wife was killed on June 13, 2020, in Arches National Park. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Esther Nakajjigo lost her life when she was decapitated at an entrance to Arches National Park in Utah back in June. 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. Michaud was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim continues. The claim alleged that had park employees used an $8 padlock to secure the gate from moving in the breeze, it could have avoided the victim being "needlessly decapitated.". Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. 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The familys lawsuit claims when the national parks reopened in April 2020 after being shuttered due to Covid-19, rangers at the national park in Utah didnt 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. On Monday, a federal judge ruled Ludovic Michaud, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo, will receive $9.5 million, while Nakajjigo's mother and father were awarded $700,000 and $350,000, respectively, per the Salt Lake Tribune. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. 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 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . The gate reportedly smashed through the side of the car and struck Nakajjigo . John Ssenkindu, Esther's brother, told journalists that her sister was hit by a metallic gate of the Arches National Park in the US . 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.. 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. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death 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. Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. The French national said he and his wife, who had only been married for three months and lived in Denver, Colorado, had been on a hike and had lunch before driving out of the park. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. The federal trial began Monday in Utah, where the husband and family of Nakajjigo are seeking $140 million in damages from the U.S. government, arguing in a complaint that the national park was negligent and failed to properly maintain the gate. Photo: Esther Nakajjigo/Twitter. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it, she told Fox 13. Nothing we can say makes up for your loss. Nakajjigo married Denver man Ludovic Michaud in March 2020. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential. 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. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. The family had initially sought a total of $270 million in damages, before lowering the amount to $140 -- while the government only wanted to pay $3.5 million. 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. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. 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. In pink tops and white pants, women celebrate free period products becoming available in Utahs state buildings, Proposal to boost Utah bar licenses gets smaller with another round of cuts by lawmakers, Moab, Park City cry foul as Utah lawmakers target rules for vacation homes. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. New pill cuts cholesterol, heart attacks, Suspect in Dylan Rounds disappearance charged with murder. Esther Nakajjigo was driving with her newlywed husband on their honeymoon in Arches when an open road gate was swung by strong winds into their rental car. All rights reserved. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. The women's rights activist from Uganda was 25 when, during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020, she was beheaded by a metal gate that blew closed in strong winds and sliced through the side of the car she was riding in. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en cliquant sur le lien Tableau de bord sur la vie prive prsent sur nos sites et dans nos applications. The claim she served is legally required before a lawsuit can be filed in court. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The ruling was. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. "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. After seeing a pregnant 14-year-old girl die during a difficult delivery, Nakajjigo decided to use her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to females aged 10-24. Because neither the U.S. nor Nakajjigos family disputed the facts of the case, the civil suit focused largely on the amount of damages merited. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM minutes. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. But when she met Michaud in June 2019 in Aurora, Colorado, through a dating app, he just saw her as a smart person who loved to laugh. Courtesy of. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. "We respect the judges decision and hope this award will help her loved ones as they continue to heal for this tragedy," added the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah. 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. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Lindsay Whitehurst/AP They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang 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. 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 damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. Nakajigos family and Michaud are suing the U.S. government for negligence as well as negligent infliction of emotional distress on the part of Michaud, who had to witness the grisly scene. But an attorney for her parents and husband said they were grateful for the judgment, which represents the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. 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. 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. 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 damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. A woman who had married her husband only three months ago has died after a horror crash saw a car park gate swing through the couple's car and cut off her head. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. Ugandan newlywed Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was visiting Arches National Park in Utah in June 2020 when she was struck and killed by a metal pole attached to a traffic control gate. 72 Join Insider . "On behalf of the family, we are very appreciative of the judge's attention to detail, the time he spent working on this, and for the value he put on the loss to this family of Essie," added Littlepage. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. 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,. Sign up today. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together, he said. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. The gate had been unsecured for the previous two weeks, despite national park requirements that prohibit gates from swinging, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. 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. Berndt also said her team can take into account only Nakajjigo's education and earning history at the time of her death, exclusive from the money she raised for charitable organizations. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. She added that the plaintiffs' assumption that Nakajjigo would have taken a salary "far in excess" of most nonprofit CEOs is "simply contrary to everything the court has heard about her," Berndt said. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree.