2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. He said he didn't deny Nakajjigo was an extraordinary person, but argued it was difficult to speculate what kind of work she would have gone on to do. / CBS Colorado. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didn't have a Bachelor's degree. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Michaud, 27, were driving out of the park during a camping trip on June 13 when strong winds blew the metal gate into the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter, according to the administrative claim, which was filed in October. WebEsther Essie Nakajjigo was 25 years old when an unsecured gate inside Arches National Park swung open and impaled the vehicle she was a passenger in, killing her. "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. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. 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. 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. Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her husband of three months when the gate swung across the road and struck their car on June 13, 2020. 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. The claim also argues that NPS regularly uses gates constructed "out of metal pipes with spear-like sharp ends," and that Arches National Park had "a set of these metal pipe gates with lance-like sharp ends at the entrance/exit of the park. On October 22, Michaud filed a wrongful death claim against the US National Parks Service seeking $270million in damages. 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. 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. just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. 2 injured, including officer, in Aurora crash, 2 hurt, including officer, in rollover crash, Documentary featuring local family coping with loss after suicide aims to open up conversations, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, Mandela Washington Fellowship program at Drexel University, Luff Peace Fellowship at Watson Institute, Search of Aurora house in case of missing teen Lashaya Stine continues, Head brewer at Denver Beer Co. dies in climbing accident. Market data provided by Factset. The park was at capacity and it was just after 8 a.m. National parks want to As Nakajjigo and her husband were leaving Arches National Park, a strong gust of wind swung the gate with sufficient force to slice through the passenger door of the couples vehicle, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat in the drivers seat. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. Nakajjigo worked on fundraising to open a hospital in an underserved part of Kampala, Uganda's capital, became a philanthropic celebrity and immigrated to the United States for a fellowship at the Boulder, Colorado-based Watson Institute for emerging leaders. The most important thing for me is to try continuing what shes done, Michaud said. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. All rights reserved. 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. The gate barely missed Michaud. McGinn said if her life hadn't been cut short that Nakajjigo's trajectory suggested 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. 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.. 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. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. NBC reported that he was flown to Moab Regional Hospital. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Michaud, who lived with his Ugandan wife in Denver, Colorado, wasn't injured in the accident, but he told the news station he was completely covered in his wife's blood. 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. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. 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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. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. Suspect arrested after 6 stabbed in downtown L.A. 3 arrested for nearly $1 million in stolen student, Carjacking suspect shot in wild chase in L.A. County, Newport Beach home dangling after cliffside collapse, Over $38M stolen from low-income SoCal families, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. ", "Such metal pipe gates have been known to move when left unsecured, swing to the traveled part of the roadways, and penetrate into vehicles," the claim argues. Ryan Farrick is a freelance writer and small business advertising consultant based out of mid-Michigan. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. GRAND COUNTY, Utah A 27-year-old Denver man filed a wrongful death claim against the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) on Oct. 22 after it says his wife was decapitated by a vehicle gate at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. She'd come to Colorado to learn how to bolster her business acumen at the Watson Institute in Boulder. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. The suit was filed on June 8. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. WebHuman rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020, when a traffic control gate blew into her rental car at Arches National Park in the US state of Utah. Michaud, of Denver, is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. ", The widower described his late wife as someone who was "always willing to help.". Attorneys representing the victims family asked the court to award an estimated $140 million, whereas the U.S. government argued that $3.5 million would be more appropriate and comparable to similar awards in similar claims. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. It's known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. WebVideo 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 The humanitarian had traveled to the US to further her studies and was awarded with the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Boulder in Colorado. "I had a ton of flashbacks. 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. 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. 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DENVER (AP) 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The park which has over 2000 arches that A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us..