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. . 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. Devin Booker sulked. Market data provided by Factset. A wrongful death lawsuit is underway after Esther Nakajjigo was killed by a metal gate there in spring 2020. Nakajjigo received a scholarship for next-generation leaders at the Watson Institute in Boulder. 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. Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day. Our experts had computed much higher, Chang said. The Grand County Sheriffs Office arrived to investigate the accident. 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. 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. A metal gate sliced through a . In 1980, the end of an unsecured gate in Stanislaus National Park in California impaledRandy Rostas he rode in the camper-topped bed of a pickup truck, killing him. Literally a split second, she added, giving Ludo absolutely zero chance to avoid it.. She drew international acclaim for projects such as Saving Innocence Challenge, a reality show that provided schooling and funded businesses for hundreds of Lake Victoria island girls who became pregnant out of desperation, in a phenomenon known as 'sex for fish.'. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. Esther Nakajjigo, age 25, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Saturday June 13, 2020. MOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. Thanks to her new 16m Harry Potter TV deal, it's JK Rowling who's having the last laugh over Scientists discover what happens seconds before you die - activity in the brain and heart RAMPS UP, Trendy hard floors could be to blame for your foot pain (and there is a simple way to stop it). Last month, Nakajjigo's 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 . 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. Kevin Durant moped. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. A 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. Nakajjigo has been the face of Saving Innocence Challenge, a reality TV show addressing concerns about teenage pregnancy. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The horror of Nakajjigo's death is one reason Michaud has filed a claim with the National Park Service seeking $270 million. We dont know with any level of certainty what her plans were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nelson said. 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. Her remains were sent to Uganda in August for funeral services in her native country. The efforts earned Nakajjigo an award from the United Nations, which in turn led to the ambassadorship. 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. RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: What do we want? 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 . Without warning, a gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung into the cars path. Police have made a grim discovery after a man was reported missing from the Spirit of Tasmania ship on Sunday night. 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 . In the opening statements of the wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos family recounted the moment Michaud realised his wife had been killed. ', 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. He filed his claim October 22. Relatives of a Ms Nakajjigo initially sought $140m in damages from the US government. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and . 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. The couple was driving out of the park and passing by a metal pipe gate when one arm of the gate was dislodged by a gust of wind and swung into the cars path. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. 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. It was a clinic for teenagers that saw 300 people a day. In Colorado, she met Michaud, who had moved there from France. On June 13, they had gone on a hike and had a picnic. Michaud had no idea the acclaim his date had garnered, but thought she was 'really interesting. Michaud said he had to get back in the driver's seat to stop the car. I know all the parks around Moab Its one of my favourite places in the US, if not my favourite place.. Michauds attorney, Deborah Chang, of Athea Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles, describes the gate and its clockwise orientation like weapons. Ms Nakajjigos husband said his wifes death was the worst thing I hope I will ever see. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. 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. 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. After listening to five days of testimony about Nakajjigos personality and accomplishments, Jenkins said that it was all but impossible to put a price on her life and potential. 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. Nakajjigo was decapitated after wind swung an untethered metal gate into her car, killing her immediately as her husband sat in the seat next to her. The pioneering heart operation that only takes an hour and doesn't leave a scar is performed on first Briton. Revealed: All 76 bank branches that are shutting its doors this month in blow to the High Street with millions of Britons facing longer journeys and waiting times to speak to an advisor in person - is YOURS affected? It read in part: After Nakajjigos death, the Park Service sent a safety bulletin to parks telling them to inspect and secure similar gates. Its known for a series of sculpture-like fins and arches made of an orange sandstone that wind and water have eroded for centuries. These were just some of the descriptors used for Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City on Monday. Published: 18:27 BST, 2 November 2020 | Updated: 19:13 BST, 2 November 2020. Nakajjigo's family remains uncertain about whether the body will be repatriated due to the prevailing COVID-19 lockdown. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The $270 million claim related to Nakajjigo's death accounts not only for her husband's anguish but the future fundraising potential of his wife, had she lived, Nakajjigo at age 17 was named Uganda's ambassador for women and girls after she used her college tuition money to found a nonprofit community health center. The claim filed on 22 October argued that her death could have been avoided if the gate had been installed correctly or if it had been locked in place to prevent it from moving in the wind. '[Esther] was always willing to help,' Michaud told NBC News. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was driving around the stunning . She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Esther Nakajjigo was decapitated at Arches . The park service previously issued a statement expressing sympathy to her family. She did quite an incredible amount of initiatives in the short time she had, Michaud said in an interview with FOX 13. 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. Michaud, upon seeing the gruesome sight, said he jumped out of the car and ran to the visitor's center for help. The gate pierced the car, decapitating Nakajjigo. Recreation areas had recently opened after pandemic-era closures and . It is like a metal spear or a lance, Chang said, and it is at its most narrow profile pointing towards him in adobe colors like the surrounding area. They had plans to hold a ceremony with Nakajjigo's family in Uganda, but the fateful visit to Arches National Park intervened. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. "She was one in a billion, Your Honor," attorney Randi McGinn told the judge, according to FOX 13 Salt Lake City. US attorneys dont dispute that park officials were to blame. She was Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Revealed: All 76 bank branches that are shutting its doors this month in blow to the High Street with Charlotte is daddy's double! 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. That's one reason Michaud's lawyer, Deborah Chang, served a claim October 22 to the National Parks Service that topped $270 million. Christopher Tomlinson, Daily Sentinel via AP Photo File. Esther Nakajjigo was beheaded after the wind whipped a metal gate round cutting into the passenger side of the car, Esther Nakajjigo with her husband Ludovic Michaud, A picture of the gates that led to the young woman's death. Shelly Bradbury is the courts reporter at the Denver Post. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. 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. Esther Nakajjigo's horrified husband was driving when a metal gate was whipped round in the wind and cut into the car where she was sitting and beheading her in Arches National Park in Utah, US. 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. Legal Statement. Other . The pair married in March of this year. 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. U.S. Govt. A National Park Service spokesperson declined comment Monday on the lawsuit, Fox13-KSTU reported. . 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. 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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah . When do we want it? 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? The comments below have been moderated in advance. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. 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). 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. Besides failing to latch the gate, the claim contends the gates clockwise pivot violated federal standards. But we took a very conservative approach.. 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. The claim is a step that has to be taken before Michaud can file a lawsuit. 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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 . In the show, people do charity work or other acts to benefit the mothers. She was known in Uganda as the Princess of Hearts for her internationally acclaimed humanitarian works and earned a full scholarship for emerging leaders to study at the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, in 2019. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Nakajjigo was an actress and performer at an early age. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. '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. 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. United States attorneys do not dispute that park officials shouldered the blame but argued the amount the family should be awarded is far less at $3.5 million and called into question the ways in which the damages being sought were calculated. 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. 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 gates next to the visitors center at Arches have been changed. IAN BIRRELL: Why are we kowtowing to a sinister dictatorship in China that still covers up the origins of Covid, threatens Taiwan and carries out genocide? FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. She was one in a billion, family attorney Randi McGinn told the court during opening arguments, according to Fox 13. Devin Booker sulked. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude. Simple tasks that involve things that 'Essie' left behind - cooking rice that she bought, for instance - stop him in his tracks. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. 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 . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Keeler: Avs fans, could we please skip Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri revisionist history? 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. Esther Nakajjigo is a former Uganda activist who was decapitated this summer at the Utah . (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File) She and her husband were newlyweds traveling in the well-known park when the wind caught the gate as they drove out, Fox13-KSTU in Salt Lake City reported . You wouldn't able to detect it or see it.. All Rights Reserved NewVision 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 Nakajjigos death. Now! The National Park Service declined to make anyone available for an interview but issued a statement. Michaud and Nakajjigo ate sandwiches at the location known as The Windows. 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. US tech billionaire's son Matt Baszucki found the low-carb/high fat diet finally made the difference to his bipolar disorder - after being prescribed 29 drugs over five years. The gate pierced the car, decapitating Nakajjigo. If you have a story idea or tip for the FOX 13 Investigative unit, please share it with us below: Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. By late spring, pandemic closures had people itching to get outdoors. A wrongful death lawsuit is underway after Esther Nakajjigo was killed by a metal gate there in spring 2020. Courtesy of Ludovic . 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. She earned numerous humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. The attorney said Nakajjigo was on a path to becoming a non-profit CEO capable of earning an annual salary of more than $1m. 'Our mission is to make sure this doesn't happen again,' he said. Hunter Biden claims he's paid Lunden Roberts $750k - $20,000 a month - in child nbcnews.com/news/us-news/activist-s-dreams-were-about-come-true-then-horrific-accident-n1245517, ROST v. UNITED STATES, CAMPER IMPALED ON FOREST SERVICE GATE, Childmarriages | Child Care and Rescue Programme, Do not sell or share my personal information. 'I was a couple of inches from dying, but I didn't, and right now I have a mission: It's to make sure what she's done continues. 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. 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. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's . 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Nakajjigo's horrific death has a precedent, states the document. Only Wants to Pay $3.5 Million to Family of Woman Decapitated at State Park. The newlyweds drove into Arches National Park on June 13. 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. In a video compilation of the 25-year old's accomplishments, Nakajjigo looked at the camera and said, "Esther means star." At age 17, the former Uganda resident was given property to sell for her own tuition but instead used it to open a hospital for women and girls, many of whom had been assaulted and neglected. 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. 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. 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. According to the official statement from Wilson Jaga, the . Investigative reporter Nate Carlisle held a live Q&A session on FOX 13's Facebook page after this piece aired. Notices of claim must be filed ahead of lawsuits against government agencies and the lawsuit was filed June 8 in federal court. 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. Itd be like me pointing a piece of paper to you on its most narrow side. File photo of Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. 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.. 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. 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Attorneys for Ms Nakajjigos family argued that the US National Park Service were negligent for not securing a metal traffic control gate that whipped around in high winds and sliced through the cars passenger door, instantly killing her. I think the video will show in detail how fast this happened, Chang said. When he looked to his wife in the passenger seat, he saw what he calls, the worst thing I hope I will ever see.. 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.. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you.