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. Courtesy Ludovic Michaud Nakajjigo. 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. 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. Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. 45 Join Insider . One series reportedly had a weekly audience of 6.3 million viewers. 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. Just as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S., Michaud, a video streaming technology solution architect who is originally from France, and Nakajjigo decided they wanted to marry. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. 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. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, on Monday asked the family to leave when he described the death in gruesome detail. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. 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 . I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. There is a lot of small things I miss.. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential. Fox13 reports the metal. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. 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. "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. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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. 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. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. One of his regrets is not saying, "I love you," one more time. Michaud was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial over the June 13, 2020, death of his wife, Esther Nakajjigo. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. 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. 2023 EHM Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Everything reminds Michaud of 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, as reported by CBS Denver.. $270 MILLION LAWSUIT 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. 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. Ludovic 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 passenger door of. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. SALT . The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. . All rights reserved. None. "I'm doing whatever I can to get better. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. 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 . When he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw his beheaded wife. 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. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. DENVER (CBS4) - 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. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and, on the edge of Arches, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. 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. 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. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. As the couple was leaving the park, gusts of wind swung the gate around rapidly, enough to slice through the passenger side door of the couples car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat feet away in the drivers seat. On June 13, 2020, Nakajjigo, who was riding in the passenger seat as her husband drove them out of the park, was suddenly decapitated when the triangular, metal gate swung around and sliced into their rental car. The newly married Michaud and Nakajjigo took a weekend trip to Arches National Park as a welcome break after months of lockdown amid the pandemic, court documents said. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. 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. Nakajjigo was a women's rights champion in her home country of Uganda; she founded a nonprofit community health center using her college tuition money, and created two reality TV shows centered around empowering women. Having received numerous international accolades and awards, Nakajjigo came to the United States to further her education, where she met Michaud a video streaming technology solution architect via a dating app. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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. "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. 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.. The trial began in December and in court, per the AP, family attorney Randi McGinn reportedly argued Nakajjigo could have eventually brought in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, annually had she survived. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 03:49 PM MST. Esther Nakajjigo was born in poverty in Kampala, Uganda, and rose to become a celebrated human rights activist through her work focusing on preventing teen pregnancy. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the. The wind whipped a metal. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. "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. 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. 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. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. It's really a full-time job," he said. 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. What if he hadn't suggested the trip to Arches? It feels lonely, and thats hard. 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.. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sign up today. IE 11 is not supported. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! US attorneys have said this claim was too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Elizabeth Chuck is a reporter for NBC News who focuses on health and mental health, particularly issues that affect women and children. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated at Arches National Park in Utah after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her car, killing her immediately as her husband sat in the seat next to her. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. 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. 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. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. 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. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo told NBC News in an exclusive interview. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. 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. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's. 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Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was on a trip to the Utah park with her . Esther Nakajjigo lost her life when she was decapitated at an entrance to Arches National Park in Utah back in June. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband and parents initially filed a $270 million claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death 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. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. Lindsay Whitehurst/AP Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a prominent . "Because (Nakajjigo) is off the charts, you can't use the charts to evaluate her," McGinn said. SALT LAKE CITY 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. 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.. All this building towards the $140million in damages. 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 ongoing trial will largely focus on determining the damages that may go to her family and Michaud. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. 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. You wouldnt able to detect it or see it.. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks prior to the tragic accident in June 2020. Nothing we can say makes up for your loss. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . In opening statements Monday in Salt Lake City, their attorneys said they were seeking $140 million (115m) in damages from the government accounting for Esther's earning potential. 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. We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. Donate to the newsroom now. 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. 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.. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. 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. Estimated read time: 5-6 She 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, and had successfully raised funds to build health care facilities in her hometown. 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. 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. First published on November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM. SALT LAKE CITY Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud has tortured himself with a lot of "what ifs?" Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. 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. Attorneys for the government have not disputed that park officials are at fault but instead have disputed how much the family should be awarded. 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 a statement to CBS News on Monday. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan activist who'd 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 Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 She was always willing to help, he said. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. I found her really interesting. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. 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 created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post.
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