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. Market data provided by Factset. The gate is just before the visitors center as drivers leave the park, near Moab, Utah. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. She also created a popular reality television series that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Michaud is seeking $240 million in damages and Nakajjigo's parents are seeking $30 million. "She really loved the Denver vibe and so do I. 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. WebThe 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. Lindsay Clancy's murder of 3 kids shows cruel trick psychosis plays, Train derailment in Springfield, Ohio as residents ordered to shelter in place, Rape survivor 'sobbed seeing Gabby Petito bodycam vid after same cop did nothing', Mom 'stabs 3 of her kids to death and wounds 2 others in unsupervised visit', 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, A 25-year-old activist was beheaded in a freak accident while enjoying a trip to Arches National Park in Utah, 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. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good.". 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. 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. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. It's likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. 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 Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. "The NPS have a duty to reasonably inspect, operate, and maintain these gates and guard against foreseeable dangers," the claims says. "She's got quite a few projects started, and we need to make sure those projects survive after A lot of people just want to continue that because that's what she would have wanted from us.". 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. Nakijjijo, originally from Uganda, "was a world-renowned activist, movie and TV star as well as a youth influencer," the claim says. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died in June 2020 as she and her husband of three months drove out of the park, in southern Utah. According to CBS News, Esther Essie Nakajjigo was killed after a metal gate at Arches sliced through the passenger side of the vehicle driven by her newlywed husband. 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. She and Michaud were married in March. 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, Family sues after newlywed is 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. 2 min read June 17, 2021 - 6:27AM Esther 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. The most famous arch is the Delicate Arch which Is in Archs National Park. 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. 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 Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. The National parks Service didn't respond to a request for comment on the claim from The Sun. 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. WebMOAB, Utah Ludo Michaud heard a loud noise. 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. 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. 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 show had an audience of 6.3 million every week. 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. You may experience delays during the busy season between March and October and on holiday weekends. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. "Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again," Michaud said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Instead, the familys civil lawsuit largely focused on the amount of damages merited. 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. According to CBS News, neither the U.S. government nor the Nakajjigo family disputed the facts of the claim. 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. A lot of people just want to continue that because thats what she would have wanted from us.. Nakajjigo and Michaud, a French-born tech solutions architect, met on a dating app last year and tied the knot at a courthouse ceremony in March. Both claims ask for $15 million in damages for wrongful death. Traffic may back up between the entrance station and US 191. That same year, she was awarded the Woman Achiever Award from the United Nations Population Fund. Her husband, Ludovic Michaud, and her parents in October filed a $270 million wrongful-death claim a precursor to the formal lawsuit alleging that the gate should have been secured to prevent it from swinging into the road. 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. The couple had traveled to Arches in celebration of their one-year anniversary of meeting. The United States government will pay more than $10 million to the family of a Ugandan human rights activist who was decapitated in a 2020 accident at Arches National Park in Utah. The claim says the gate was left open and unrestrained, causing major damage to the hood and the front passenger fender, door and window. Nakajjigo moved to Boulder, Colorado when she was offered a full scholarship to the Watson Institute and began a social entrepreneurship program in 2019. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were on vacation in eastern Utah, visiting national parks across the region several months after their wedding. Ludovic Michaud and Essie Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud), Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Claim Against Arches National Park. DENVER (CBS4) - 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. "I don't 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. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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. The trial over a wrong death lawsuit of a Ugandan activist has begun. On the edge of the park, a metal gate normally secured with a lock was left untethered. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. WebEsther Nakajjigo was killed at Utahs Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "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. Fiery tanker crash kills driver, burns Maryland homes, Trapped Californians rescued from snow, helped by neighbors, Palo Alto: Woman killed in single-vehicle motorcycle crash, Dear Abby: I love my wife but I think I better get divorced, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: She has gone too far with the remote work option, Bobcat seen using Highway 17 wildlife crossing hours after it opens, Authorities: Man bombed PG&E transformers in South San Jose, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Dear Abby: I was always in the back seat, one way or another, William backed Harry and Meghan's eviction, prefers brother never 'set foot in England again', Map in Murdaugh murder case: 5 deaths and a mysterious shooting, Ask Amy: I didn't ask for what I wanted, and I'm sad they couldn't guess, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "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. NEW YORK POLICE SERGEANT FATALLY STRUCK IN WRONG-WAY CRASH.