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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. FOX 13 Investigates: Family sues over death of woman killed in Arches Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. Lindsay Whitehurst/AP Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. According to the claim, Michaud, of Denver, and Nakajjigo, a womens rights proponent from Uganda, were exiting the Arches parking lot on June 13 when a metal gate on the entrance road near the visitors center swung into the couples car, causing Nakajigo to be needlessly decapitated.. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 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. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. He smiled at some points as he shared photos and memories of happier times affectionate birthday cards, silly nicknames, meals cooked together, the rose petals Nakajjigo arranged into the shape of a heart with an "I" and a "U" on either side. IE 11 is not supported. 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.. Nakajjigo worked on fundraising to open a hospital in an underserved part of Kampala, Ugandas capital, became a philanthropic celebrity and immigrated to the United States for a fellowship at the Boulder, Colorado-based Watson Institute for emerging leaders. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. 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. 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. 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. She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Instead of planning their future together, Michaud is now processing the trauma and grief of Nakajjigos gruesome death and hoping the lawsuit his attorney plans to file will save other families from experiencing what he did. McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, likened her to a nonprofit CEO for an American charity and said she would have likely made millions throughout her life. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . Nakajjigo's family sued the government for the largest federal award ever asked for in both state and national history, according to plaintiffs' attorney Randi McGinn, seeking $140 million in damages. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and . The large monetary damages being sought on behalf of Michaud and Nakajjigos parents are a reflection of the suffering they have gone through plus the loss of Nakajjigos future income and fundraising abilities, Chang said. Ludovic Michaud, the husband of late human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, has filed a $270 million wrongful death administrative claim against the National Park Service, according to a report by NBC News, following a June accident at Arches National Park near Moab. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. They had wanted three children. The family says under federal park rules, similar gates should be secured, but the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo had been unlatched for weeks, Fox 13 reports. 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. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgment, saying it was the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. $270M Claim Filed Against National Park Service After Woman's Death Michaud and his in-laws are asking a federal judge for $140 million. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. 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. The metal gate at Arches National Park, normally secured with a lock, was left untethered. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim continues. When she was 17, she donated her university tuition money to start a private, nonprofit community health center that she named the Princess Diana Health Centre. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. 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). dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "I'll respond as soon as I'm able," Jenkins said. National parks begin to reopen across the country. $10.5 million awarded to family of Denver woman killed at Arches Family sues after newlywed is killed by gate at Arches park 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 . Esther Nakajjigo had been visiting Utah's Arches National Park when she was killed by a gate caught in the wind. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death 72 Join Insider . 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 closing arguments came after five days of trial that included testimony from Nakajjigo's family, friends and mentors, as well as from bystanders who witnessed the accident. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. 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. 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. Ms Nakajjigo met Mr Michaud after she relocated to the US, where she was awarded the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Boulder in Colorado. What if he hadn't suggested the trip. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Ms Nakajjigo worked to improve education and rights for women and teenage girls in her home country of Uganda and advocated to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy. Seven people have been rushed to hospital after severe turbulence on a flight led to an emergency landing. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. The end of that trial came Monday, but a verdict is still pending. 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. 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. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. 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,. 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. 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. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at 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. According to NBC, the claim was served Oct. 22, and 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.. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. SALT . In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. The gate reportedly smashed through the side of the car and struck Nakajjigo . "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. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Additionally, Berndt said the plaintiffs can only speculate on what Nakajjigo might have done had she lived, and the court can't ignore that "in favor of dreams and potential.". Attorneys for the government have not disputed that park officials are at fault but instead have disputed how much the family should be awarded. Ms Nakajjigos husband said his wifes death was the worst thing I hope I will ever see. What if they had gone on a different day, or left at a different time? We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. 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. Family of Ugandan Awarded $10.5M for Utah Park Death Activist, 25, hailed as 'future Oprah or Princess Diana' is Donate to the newsroom now.