arches national park gate death video arches national park gate death video

Both of Nakijjijo's parents, who listed their addresses as Kamapala, Uganda, have also filed wrongful death claims. just as COVID-19 was starting to make U.S. headlines, Do not sell or share my personal information. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The newlyweds were driving during a camping trip on June 13, when a strong gust of wind blew an unsecured metal gate that sliced through the side of their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. More Videos Next up in 5 WebThe family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. WebThe 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. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! CBS News reports that the case attracted significant attention, considering the gruesome circumstances and Nakajjigos status as a relatively well-known human rights activist. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to the family's claim, three other people have died from similar accidents with unsecured gates over the past 32 years. Michaud's claim alleges that if the gate had been properly installed or an $8 padlock had been placed to secure it from swinging, the world wouldn't have lost "a young woman influencer destined to become our society's future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey. ", First published on November 13, 2020 / 7:49 AM. 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. Then the car carrying him and his wife stopped. The United Nations Population Fund gave her a Woman Achiever Award when she was 17, and she was named Ugandas Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony. 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. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. WebHikers walk beside the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized; his current condition is unknown. Arches National Park is best known for its The gate barely missed Michaud. Newlyweds Esther Essie Nakajjigo, 25, and Ludovic Ludo 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. After requesting that the family leave the courtroom, she recounted the moment Michaud realized his wife had been killed, when he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw she was dead. RELATED: Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. 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. Web6 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 The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver. All rights reserved. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. "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. 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. In the fatal incident, a gust of wind apparently dislodged it and sent it smashing into the passenger side of the couples rented car. 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We loved getting out and going to beautiful places," Michaud said. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. Deborah Chang, the Los Angeles-based attorney representing Michaud, claimed there was nothing he could do to swerve out of the way of the gate that killed his wife and missed him by a hair. 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. WebAccording 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. This story has been updated to correct Michauds age. A gust of wind apparently dislodged the arm of the metal gate, which swung across the roadway. 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. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "Despite this fact, the NPS has done nothing to ensure the safety of its visitors and guests.". The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. Michaud and his wife, Esther Nakajjigo, were in Arches National Park. She and Michaud were married in March, and the two traveled to Arches to celebrate the one-year anniversary of when they first met on a dating app. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 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 through the side of their car like a hot knife through butter, according to the administrative claim, which was filed in October. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. She received numerous other humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers. Nakajjigo, who grew up in Uganda, had been recognized since she was a teenager for her work promoting health services and education for young women and girls. The show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. She was also named Uganda's Ambassador for Women and Girls at the ceremony; just a few of her numerous humanitarian awards. She and Michaud were married in March. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH. She moved to Boulder, Colorado, to attend the Watson Institute, a program for young entrepreneurs and innovators. The suit was filed on June 8. Michaud is asking for more than $220 million in damages for wrongful death, and $20 million in damages for personal injury. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. However, she eventually became the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda, which emphasized womens empowerment, educational attainment, and equitable access to health care. 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. 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. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. Around 2 p.m., they were driving to get ice cream in the town of Moab when the gate swung into their path. The National Park Service and Arches National Park are accused of not securing the gate, which was installed to swing in the wrong direction and was being held open by a flimsy metal tab that was worn down and rounded, according to the claim. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Newlywed killed by swinging gate at Arches, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, Newlywed killed by swinging gate at Arches National Park, 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Bay Area honeymooners say snorkel boat abandoned them off Maui coast, At least 26 killed in fiery train crash in Greece, If it was your child, when would you give up? Mother searches for 5-year-old son swept away in January floods, Online fundraiser emerges for Brentwood father who died while kayaking. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. For want of an $8.00 basic padlock, 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, according to the claim, which is a precursor to a formal lawsuit. 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. Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. They married about three months prior. Her family is filing a $270 million wrongful death claim against the park, saying her death was preventable. 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WebWhen I went to Arches National Park in 2021, I got turned around at the gate. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. He told NBC that the harrowing accident has left him traumatized, and he continues to suffer from PTSD months after. In an email to The Associated Press, National Park Service spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo expressed sympathy for Nakajjigos family, friends and those whose lives she touched but did not address the wrongful death claim. "I'm still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning. Arches National Park, which has more than 2,000 natural stone arches,closed Delicate Arch on Friday for a about six hours before it reopened, the parksaid on Twitter. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. 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. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. 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. Employees knew or should have known that winds strong enough to carve stone are certainly strong enough to blow an unrestrained metal pipe gate into the path of an oncoming vehicle, Chang wrote in the claim. Elon Musk Wins Funding Secured Shareholder Lawsuit, Blog vs YouTube Over Other Websites: How to Choose, Behind the Story of Ghostbed vs. Purple Mattress Lawsuit, Investigation Reveals Goodyears Dunlop D402 Tires Have Caused Dozens of Motorcycle Accidents, Amputees Third Attempt at Holding Medical Personnel Responsible Pays Off. Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. WebIn 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 Michaud's filing clears the path for a full lawsuit, which is expected to be served within the coming months. 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 Nakajjigo. He is seeking a little more than $240 million in damages, while Nakajjigos parents are seeking $30 million. Listen online or download the iHeart App. Several dozen per day. Esther Nakajjigo a human-rights advocate from Uganda who was studying at a leadership institute in Colorado was killed instantly in the June 13 incident. 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. The park which has over 2000 arches that Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. The lawsuit, adds CBS, observed that the activists death could have been prevented if Arches National Park had simply purchased an $8 padlock for the unsecured gate. In 2018, she participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship program at Drexel University, and she was also the recipient of the 2018 Luff Peace Fellowship at Watson Institute. 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 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. 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. By Thomas Peipert, Associated Press 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. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, tragically died on June 13 after a metal gate swung into the car she and her 26-year-old husband Ludovic Michaud were driving as they exited the parking lot of the Utah landmark. I'm still struggling with that," Michaud said. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. The couple planned to throw a big wedding in Uganda once the coronavirus pandemic - instead, Michaud is now in mourning and hopes that his claim will save others from experiencing a similar pain. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File). Market data provided by Factset. United States attorneys do not dispute that park officials shouldered blame, but argued the amount the family should be awarded is far less and called into questions the ways in which the damages being sought were calculated. Winter conditions make for slippery hiking; proceed with caution," the tweet said. They said claims by the familys lawyers that Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time of her death, was on track to be a non-profit CEO shortly were too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. Claim says gate penetrated car of a Denver man and his new wife during a strong windstorm at Utahs Arches National Park. However, in his 10-page decision, Jenkins observed that the case was somewhat unusual, insofar as neither the victim nor the plaintiffs were U.S. citizens. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. ", "What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine," said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, WebUSA TODAY 0:00 0:49 Two people died Friday while hiking in Arches National Park in Utah. Michauds attorneys also said the federal government was aware of the dangers, citing a 1980 accident in which a man was impaled by an unsecured gate as he rode in the back of a pickup in Californias Stanislaus National Forest. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. Ludovic Michaud says that his wife, 25-year-old Esther Nakajjigo, was decapitated when a metal gate swung into their 2020 Chevy Malibu as they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, according to the claim. "The most important thing for me is to try continuing what she's done," Michaud said to The Associated Press. "The woman I loved and I saw her for just her.". While the Nakajjigo family had initially sought more in compensatory damages, their attorneys celebrated the judgment, saying that it isby farthe largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. Legal Statement. "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," said Michaud. The three people involved were related, Brown said. WebEsther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. "She was very strong personality, really funny, really smart," said Ludovic Michaud, Essie Nakajjigo's husband. The couple was on their way to get ice cream when "the end of the lance-like gate pierced the side of their car and penetrated it like a hot knife through butter," according to the claim, which was obtained by NBC News. WebEsther 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Nakajjigo, adds CBS, had grown up in poverty. 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. Market data provided by Factset. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Read more about Traffic and Travel Tips. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? Please enter valid email address to continue. The family of a young woman who was killed by a swinging gate at Arches National Park has sued the park service over her death. The claim argues that an $8 padlock or proper maintenance would have prevented the death. 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. 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. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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 couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. 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. 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. The familys claim said that three other people in cars were killed by such gates on National Park Service property since 1988. All rights reserved. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. A YOUNG activist hailed as a "future Princess Diana or Oprah" for her work was decapitated in a gruesome accident while she and her husband were hiking in Arches National Park. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. He didn't know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. 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. We just dont want this to ever happen again, Michaud said in an interview Thursday. While growing up in Uganda, Nakajjigo used her college tuition funds to open up a nonprofit community education center in her home country. 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. "The National Park Service has, in face, known for decades that an unsecured metal pipe gate creates an undetectable hazard and dangerous conditions," says the claim. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling into the bowl area near Delicate Arch. 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. Nakajjigo was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and started a social entrepreneurship program in early 2019. 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. Arches National Park is best known for its pristine sandstone arches and its massive red Delicate Arch, which has featured in countless Instagram photos. The Grand County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident.