Prosecuting attorney Randi McGinn described the death in gruesome detail and said if Nakajjigo's life had not been cut short, she would have gone on to become a non-profit CEO who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands of dollars - or millions. 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. I really wanted to show her Arches, Michaud said, because I know all the parks around Moab because, yeah, it's one of my favorite places in the U.S., if not my favorite place.. This incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. "She was one in a billion, Your Honor," attorney Randi McGinn told the judge, according to FOX 13 Salt Lake City. He was excited to show his wife. A federal judge this week awarded $10.5 million to the family of a Denver woman who was killed when a metal gate at Utahs Arches National Park swung open, impaled her car and decapitated her. 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. In October, Nakajjigos husband, Ludovic Michaud, and her parents filed a $270 million wrongful death claim a precursor to a formal lawsuit against the park, alleging that the gate should have been secured to prevent it from swinging into the road. Controversial NHS Tavistock transgender clinic is threatened with court action by watchdog after failing to 'If I didn't build it, somebody else would've': The Godfather of A.I. When the wind caught the gate and the stop sign attached to it, the top rail pierced the car, hit Nakajjigo and stopped on the back of Michauds headrest. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. within 24 hours of Nakajjigo's death, his family feared he . The United States will pay $10.5 million in damages over the death of a prominent Ugandan human rights activist killed in a Utah park in 2020. . I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. No one has disputed that the gate just south and west of the visitors center was open and unsecured as the Malibu approached it. Dr Martin Scurr: Why have I always had a runny nose for 30 years - and what can I do to make it stop? 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. Father 'crushed to death' in indoor cave at tourist attraction 'was read poem by his daughter' while he lay dying in hospital bed - as previous safety concerns emerge about site where 49-year-old got stuck for four hours, Can the Keto diet help treat mental illness? Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June from its coronavirus shutdown. 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. resigns from Google and says he regets Pictured: British grandfather and 'friend to everybody' who died while snorkelling during dream cruise Baby in India is born with a third ARM growing from its back in rare phenomenon. She did quite an incredible amount of initiatives in the short time she had, Michaud said in an interview with FOX 13. I think the video will show in detail how fast this happened, Chang said. On June 13, she was "needlessly decapitated" by a metal gate that swung into the couple's car as they were exiting the Arches parking lot on their way to go get ice cream, according to a wrongful death administrative claim . 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. The 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. Civil trial begins over the 2020 death of a woman killed in a Utah National Park. Disputing the family's claims the victim was on track to become the CEO of a non-profit who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Wind caught an unlatched traffic gate and turned it into the path of Michaud and Nakajjigos rented Chevy Malibu. When he looked to his wife in the passenger seat, he saw what he calls, the worst thing I hope I will ever see.. Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated by a metal gate that swung through the car's passenger door in Arches National Park (Grand County Sheriff's Office) According to a wrongful death administrative claim acquired by NBC News exclusively, Esther Nakajjigo was "needlessly decapitated" on June 13, . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Charlotte is daddy's double! 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. "I am heartbroken to announce my mom passed away yesterday morning, peacefully," Caitlyn wrote in an April 21 Instagram post . She was 25. Fans don't believe North West, nine, organized lavish pre-Met Gala gift for mom Kim Kardashian: 'What 9 year Melting the ice queen's heart! Denver woman Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud, were visiting Arches National Park in mid-June when a freak accident left Nakajjigo dead.. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. SALT LAKE CITY The husband of Esther Nakajjigo, who was driving the car when a traffic control gate decapitated her in Arches National Park, took the witness stand Thursday in the civil trial . A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . Speeding truck smashes into metal column in fatal Concord freeway wreck, San Jose: Pedestrian killed in early morning collision, Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Michaud and his in-laws are asking a federal judge for $140 million. Family sues Colorado nursing home over 82-year-olds death after being beaten by fellow resident, Online marketplace Letgo sued after Denver-area slayings, Four arrested in connection with shooting outside Aurora mall, Mesa County, health contractor to pay $2 million after 27-year-old dies of epileptic seizures in jail, Colorado DMV relaunches services after statewide shutdown due to technical outage. 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. FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2011, file photo, a lunar eclipse is framed within Turret Arch at Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. It was a clinic for teenagers that saw 300 people a day. She was Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. For the government, US assistant attorney Jeffrey Nelson accepted Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person but said it was impossible to determine what her future earnings would have been, per the Associated Press. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. 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. Investigative reporter Nate Carlisle held a live Q&A session on FOX 13's Facebook page after this piece aired. She grew up in Uganda, and at age 17 used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to young women. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. Keeler: Avs fans, could we please skip Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri revisionist history? Esther was born April 16, 1995. . Legal Statement. In life, Nakajjigo was recognized for her work on behalf of Ugandan girls before she was even an adult. Nakajjigo was 'destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey,' the claim argues. 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 now at the center . Nakajjigo's younger brother John, who traveled from Uganda to the U.S. to be at the trial, told KUTV that life without his sister has been extremely tough, but he is grateful for the opportunity . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Attorneys for Michaud and Nakajjigo's family gave their opening arguments when the civil trial began Monday. 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. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. Expressions of love, respect, admiration, the talk of raising at least three children are all circumstances, among other things, now lost and incapable of being ever fully replaced. Then at age 17, she used her tuition money to start what was called the Princess Diana Health Centre. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. In less than a second, the metal pole went through the cars front windshield and killed Nakajjigo, who was sitting in the passenger seat. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. Michaud, upon seeing the gruesome sight, said he jumped out of the car and ran to the visitor's center for help. Nakajjigo received a scholarship for next-generation leaders at the Watson Institute in Boulder. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. Nelson, the governments attorney, has said an appropriate award would be $3.5million (2.9m). Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. Esther Nakajjigo - pictured left just hours before her death - was beheaded by a lance-like gate that swung into her husband's car as they visited . SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The family of a womens rights activist from Uganda sued the National Park Service this month after she was decapitated last year by a gate at Utahs Arches National Park. The park service previously issued a statement expressing sympathy to her family. Ludo Michaud was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial over the June 13, 2020, death of his wife, Esther Nakajjigo. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and . The Met Gala begins! 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. Nakajjigo was already a celebrity and accomplished humanitarian in her home country of Uganda. The Grand County Sheriffs Office arrived to investigate the accident. Watch it below: Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. Kevin Durant moped. Market data provided by Factset. 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). In the show, people do charity work or other acts to benefit the mothers. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. ', Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights advocate from Uganda who had taken fellowships in the U.S. to continue her efforts on behalf of Ugandan women and girls. Saturday, June 13, turned dark at noon in the lives of Ugandan activists as it marked the end of a bright ray of hope Esther Nakajjigo. Senior Judge Bruce S. Jenkins in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah was tasked with determining the amount of monetary damages. Keeler: Chris Paul got dirty. Biden FINALLY announces COVID vaccine requirement for travelers to US will be Have scientists finally created a jab to keep ALL flu strains at bay? Our experts had computed much higher, Chang said. She was tragically decapitated by the end of a swinging gate in Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, In 2019 Nakajjigo met her husband-to-be, Ludovic Michaud (pictured), 26, in Aurora Colo. On October 22 his lawyer filed a $270 million wrongful death claim against the National Parks Service, The claim related to the death of Nakajjigo asserts that if parks service workers had simply padlocked the gate open, it never would have swung free and pierced her car. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The newlyweds were driving during a camping trip on June 13, when a strong gust of wind blew an unsecured She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Michaud said in a statement after the ruling that going through the court process has helped him to heal after the trauma of witnessing his wifes violent death. An Aussie tradie was surfing on an island in Panama when he got smashed by a wave so hard he ended up having a 12-hour operation. She was European Commission Young Leader and the United States Department of State Young African Leader, a member of the Women Ambassadors' Forum in Dallas, Texas, and a Youth Expert at the African Union-European Union Youth Cooperation Hub in Addis Ababa as well as being a Commonwealth Youth Trainer.Nakajjigo has achieved a total of nine Awards, a Geneva Women's World Summit Prize and she is the 2018 Luff Peace Fellowship winner at Watson Institute in the U.S.The 23-year-old has been working at the Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a non-employee associate in the international programs. A federal judge in Utah on Monday awarded more than $10.5 million to the family of Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, a Ugandan human rights activist who was decapitated in Arches National Park in 2020. 2023. The trial gave me and Essies family members an opportunity to tell Essies beautiful story, he said, and it was so important to me to have the chance to stand up and speak for this amazing woman.. "She could lift mountains, basically, in her own way. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. Simple tasks that involve things that 'Essie' left behind - cooking rice that she bought, for instance - stop him in his tracks. The newlyweds drove into Arches National Park on June 13. The claim asks the Park Service for $270 million. . 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 the US National Parks Service seeking . But we took a very conservative approach.. Nakajjigo was an actress and performer at an early age. 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 nine-figure amount that the claim seeks accounts not only for Michaud's anguish, but for his deceased wife's potential as a fundraiser that he says was cut short by the negligence of parks workers. The ruling was issued by a US District Court on Friday, according to KUTV. 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. 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. Nakajjigo, 25, was born in Kampala, Uganda, and used her university tuition money to start a nonprofit community health care center for girls and young women when she was a teenager. The Park Service did not answer FOX 13s questions about whether anyone was disciplined for failing to latch the gate that killed Nakajjigo. Nakajjigo's horrific death has a precedent, states the document. It's an understandable opinion, but in fairness of this woman, here's a quote from another article about the incident: "Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a women's rights champion in Uganda. 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. 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Nakajjigo was a Ugandan singer and actress who reportedly did charity work. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks before it struck Esther Nakajjigo in June 2020, according to the lawsuit filed in Denver. Kiszla: Avs embarrass themselves with silence about Valeri Nichushkin's mysterious absence following reported 9-1-1 call, Andrew Cogliano out for Game 7 with fractured neck after Jordan Eberle's hit leaves Avalanche miffed at lack of suspension. We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Mr Michaud and Ms Nakajjigos family have filed a lawsuit in a US court accusing the National Park Service of negligence, Fox 13 reports. 'Our mission is to make sure this doesn't happen again,' he said. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. At 17, she was namedUganda's ambassador for women and girls after she used her college tuition money to found a nonprofit community health center. Aussie faces jail over disgraceful mosque act. Now! Chang said the Park Service has until sometime in April to answer the claim or try to settle the case without a lawsuit. 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. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Without warning, a gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung into the cars path. . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah . Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. She had been among the many people of colour who have come to strongly condemn the systematic racism in the US.In a tweet, the Arches National Park confirmed that investigations into her death are still ongoing and sent out sympathies to the family of her deceased. They headed to Arches National Park as soon as the park reopened in June, eager for an adventure. The freaky accident happened near the Park's visitor center according to the Times-Independent as Nakajjigo had gone for a vacation in Utah County.The Grand County Sheriff's Office, Grand County EMS, the Moab City Police Department, and the Moab Valley Fire Department responded to the accident scene later and it was confirmed that the fatal accident was an extrication of an 85-echo' meaning it was an obvious fatality' according to the Moab Times. . 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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. While there, she met Michaud. U.S. Govt. esther nakajjigo accident scene photosa father to his son poem figure of speech Galaxie musicale Menu. She . In 2020, Ludovic Michaud was driving with his 25-year-old wife Esther Nakajjigo out of Utah's Arches . A widow and his wife's family are seeking $140 million in damages from the U.S. government more than two years after a woman was killed in a Utah national park. Devin Booker sulked. Judge awards $10.5 million to family of Denver, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Colorado property tax relief: Polis, lawmakers reveal plan to ease skyrocketing tax bills, Judge awards $10.5 million to family of Denver woman killed by wind-blown gate at Arches National Park, Denver newlyweds trip to Arches National Park ends with wifes death. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Esther Nakajjigo, whod moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder, was killed instantly. US attorneys dont dispute that park officials were to blame. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. The familys lawyer Deborah Chang said the gate struck the car so suddenly and was so well blended into the surrounding landscape the honeymooning couple had no chance of avoiding it. File photo of Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. Esther Nakajjigo is a former Uganda activist who was decapitated this summer at the Utah . 'GENTLE GIANT' WITH A 'BIG HEART': TUXEDO CAT NAMED AUGUSTUS GLOOP IS UP FOR ADOPTION IN UTAH, File photo of Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it, she told Fox 13. The efforts earned Nakajjigo an award from the United Nations, which in turn led to the ambassadorship. Jenkins awarded $9.5 million to Michaud, $700,000 to Nakajjigos mother and $350,000 to her father. All rights reserved. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? The claim is a step that has to be taken before Michaud can file a lawsuit. Michaud took his new wife Nakajjigo to Arches National Park on June 13 to show the Uganda native the beauty of the natural sandstone curves, Nakajjigo's husband said he hopes that a planned lawsuit will prevent others from suffering the same tragic fate that his wife did as they left a parking lot in Arches National Park. 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. A newlywed Denver couples road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in tragedy when a metal gate at the park exit swung open, impaled the couples car and decapitated the woman, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist. Hes originally from France. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's . The family of a Denver woman has filed a $270 million wrongful death claim against Arches National Park after she was killed there over the summer. A newsletter publicized that earlier incident to National Parks Service employees, said Chang. The administrative claim is a necessary precursor to a lawsuit, which Chang said she plans to file in the next six months. The National Park Service has not commented in relation to the new lawsuit but has previously released a statement expressing sympathy for the young womans death. 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. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. All Rights Reserved NewVision Ms Nakajjigo was described as an extraordinary warrior for good who was destined to become a future Princess Diana or Oprah Winfrey in pre-trial court documents. She later drew acclaim forprojects such as Saving Innocence Challenge, a reality show that provided schooling and funded businesses for hundreds of Lake Victoria island girls. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, on Monday asked the family to leave when he described the death in gruesome detail. Nakajjigo gained national notoriety in Uganda and created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to the claim. Later Nakajjigo took her advocacy work to the United States, accepting fellowships atDrexel University in Philadelphia and the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colo. Last year in Aurora Colo., she met her husband on a dating site, NBC reported. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan activist whod moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder, died June 13, 2020, while visiting the park with her husband of two months, Ludovic Michaud. 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