Michaud says he wants to keep her legacy going, but he also wants the gates at National Parks and forests across the U.S. to be safe for visitors. 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, sliced through the passenger door of his car and decapitated his new 25-year-old wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo. A federal judge this week awarded $10.5 million to the family of a Denver woman. "Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a women's rights champion in Uganda. Illinois highway pile-up causes multiple deaths, police say, Trump motion to declare mistrial in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit denied, Transgender Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr sues over censure, Debt ceiling standoff heats up over veterans' programs, U.S. tracking high-altitude balloon first spotted off Hawaii, Biden administration ending vaccine mandate for federal workers, travelers, The weirdest items passengers leave behind in Ubers. "The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Uganda's 'Young Personality of the Year,'" the Post reported. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. Nakajjigo married Denver man Ludovic Michaud in March 2020. A National Park Service spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. Of the accidents aftermath, Michaud told FOX 13: I saw the worst thing I hope I will ever see.. "I've always wanted to meet him, though not in this way," he said. Activist Esther Nakajjigo dies in the U.S NTVUganda 930K subscribers Subscribe 28K views 2 years ago The family of Esther Nakajjigo a Ugandan Activist who died in the US is asking the. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. 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. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. Esther Nakajjigo is a former Uganda activist who was decapitated this summer at the Utah Arches National Park. At 17 years old, Nakajjigo used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, NBC News reported. One also took place on federal government property in the 80s, the outlet continued, when a U.S. Forest Service road closure gate impaled a California camper. Trying To Figure Out How To Move Forward: Widower Of Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate At Arches National Park Struggles After Trauma. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Chang filed the paperwork notifying the National Park Service that a lawsuit will be filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, seeking damages for Ludovic, and for Nakajjigo's mother and father. She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart, said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigos husband. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). 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. Let others know about your loved one's death. FOX 13 reported earlier this year how Nakajjigo died June 13, 2020, after wind caught a traffic control gate and blew it into the rented Chevy Malibu driven by her husband, Ludo Michaud. U.S. Govt. Only Wants to Pay $3.5 Million to Family of Woman Show your support Send Flowers Send flowers or a sympathy gift to a service or family. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. There is a lot of small things I miss.. Ludovic said he knows the suit won't bring his beloved wife back, but he wants to make sure the same type of tragic accident doesn't happen to anyone else. Receive a notification when services are updated. The family of a woman killed while visiting Arches National Park is hoping they can change the dangerous conditions that lead to her death and continue the philanthropy she inspired around the globe. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim said. 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. Shes done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives, she said. He didnt know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Nakajjigos family will have to show her death was caused by more than negligence, said James C. Kozlowski, an associate professor of recreation management at George Mason University who studies legal issues in the outdoor industry. A spokeswoman said the single vehicle accident happened June 13 on the entrance road of Arches National Park, near the Visitor's Center, and that the entrance was shut down for several hours. 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. A video tribute to his wife showed her talking about her name, in an earlier recording. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. I didnt know who she was at first, the 26-year-old expressed to NBC News. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue. The park service previously issued a statement expressing sympathy to Nakajjigos family. Esther Nakajjigo: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, UTAH: More than 2 years after a woman was killed in a Utah national park, her husband and her family are suing the US government for $140 million in damages. Initiative by the late @nakajjigo | https://t.co/hMEUS3a5uj pic.twitter.com/OBhxkiPqPZ, Urban Television (@UrbanTVUganda) October 25, 2020. 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 head . Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. After COVID-19 closures were lifted, the newlyweds took a trip to Arches National Park. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. I dont know how I could stand to see another thing like that happen, and I just want to make sure we do whatever we can to avoid, to save another life.. Family of activist decapitated by swinging gate at Utah park is awarded Opening statements previewed how the trial will hinge less on varying accounts of the accident and instead focus on Nakajiigo's biography and earning potential, which is used to calculate a portion of the damages. I had a ton of flashbacks. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "For how majestic these parks are, it's kind of shocking how rudimentary these gates are," she said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. "The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Uganda's 'Young Personality of the Year,'" the Denver Post reported. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. 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. Esther Nakajjigo Of Denver Decapitated By Gate :Family Files $270M 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. Download the app . Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. He filed his claim October 22. The suit does not specify the amount the plaintiffs are seeking, though it accuses park staff of negligence. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Utah's Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. "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. Liability, if any, would have to be based on proof of willful wanton misconduct, sometimes referred to as gross negligence.. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband were visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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 couple hiked to Delicate Arch and ate lunch in the Windows area before starting their drive out of the park. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential. The United States will pay family members of Esther Nakajjigo, a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled . I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. After requesting that the family leave the courtroom, she recounted the moment Michaud. $140M trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed in Utah park Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, saying it was the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. Sign up for service and obituary updates. The claim describes Nakajjigos final moments in graphic detail and says the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter.. 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. For this work, the United Nations Population Fund gave her the Woman Achiever Award. Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. 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. FOX 13 Investigates: Family sues over death of woman killed in Arches Yet park employees could have done a lot, the claim alleges, including taking note during inspections of the gate that it posed a danger and putting an inexpensive padlock on it. The suit was filed last week in federal court in Denver by the widower and parents of Nakajjigo. The ruling was. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. Her passions included lowering teen pregnancy, as well as creating two reality television shows that empowered women, the outlet reported. "Woman decapitated at Arches National Park, $270 million wrongful death The horror of Nakajjigo's death is one reason Michaud has filed a claim with the National Park Service seeking $270 million. The gate was owned by the United States government and anchored on government property., READ NEXT: Famous Rappers Brother Dies From Apparent Suicide, Esther Nakajjigo: Uganda Activist Decapitated in Utah National Park, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. / CBS/AP. Michaud and Nakajjigo had been married for just under three months when they decided to go see the Arches. The pole gate pierced the passenger compartment of the couple's rental car, a Chevy Malibu, and decapitated Esther. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. According to Moab Sun News, the Ugandan government on April 19 forbade the repatriation of the remains of Ugandans who pass away abroad over fears of the coronavirus. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. Esther Nakajjigo: Trial begins for woman beheaded by metal gate in Utah In June, Nakajjigo was visiting the park with her new husband, Ludovic Michaud, Moab Sun News reported. The metal pole forming the top of the gate pierced the passenger side of the car and struck Nakajjigo in the head and neck. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigo's death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Nakajjigos family and friends in Uganda started a petition to the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Health in the country to make an exception for the young activist, the newspaper continued. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. Activist Esther Nakajjigo dies in the U.S - YouTube Here's how. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.. 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 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. #EDD #sheiswe pic.twitter.com/VUD1jd7U7H, Esther Nakajjigo (@nakajjigo) June 7, 2018. Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Add a Memory The couple was leaving a park parking lot to get ice cream when a metal traffic control gate swung into the road, piercing the passenger side of the couples rental car and severing Nakajjigos head. 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.. Ugandan activist, 25, decapitated by gate in Utah's Arches National Michaud, who hails from France, told the station during his first interview since his wifes death that he just saw her as a smart person who loved to laugh.. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations, CBS Colorado reported. The claim she served is legally required before a lawsuit can be filed in court. Attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigo's parents asked for $140 million in damages, while the government said an appropriate award would be roughly $3.5 million. 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. @ArielleHarrison https://t.co/YoCT50YObz. She said there was nothing that visually set them apart. She was always willing to help, he said. IE 11 is not supported. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. Members get 15+ publications right in your pocket. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. A family is getting $10 million in the wrongful death of Ugandan human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a swinging metal gate in Arches National Park, Utah. Olinger Hampden Mortuary, Cremation & Cemetery, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. During the trials opening statements in December, Nakajjigo was described as a pearl beyond price with limitless potential, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. 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 couple's car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat feet away in the driver's seat. Esther was born April 16, 1995. Michaud was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. Family of Woman Killed at Arches National Park Awarded $10.5M Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud) Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.