72 Join Insider . 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 now at the center of a wrongful death trial. in the two-plus years since his wife, Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, was hit and killed by an unsecured gate while the couple was leaving Arches National Park. She added that the plaintiffs' assumption that Nakajjigo would have taken a salary "far in excess" of most nonprofit CEOs is "simply contrary to everything the court has heard about her," Berndt said. Chang expects to file the lawsuit in about six months. But when she met Michaud in June 2019 in Aurora, Colorado, through a dating app, he just saw her as a smart person who loved to laugh. Nakajjigo donated her own college fund to start a hospital, Berndt said; she raised money for charities and never took a salary. All times AEDT (GMT +11). 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 amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. 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. Esther Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didnt have a Bachelors degree. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. Throughout the trial, attorneys debated estimates of Nakajjigos earnings potential. The women's rights activist from Uganda was 25 when, during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020, she was beheaded by a metal gate that blew closed in strong winds and sliced through the side of the car she was riding in. They argued that had employees installed the gate properly and secured it with an $8 padlock, Nakajjigos death could have been prevented, 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, on Monday. He was "instantly covered with blood," the complaint says. 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. I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. All rights reserved. Credit: AP FILE - Delicate. Esther Nakajjigo lost her life when she was decapitated at an entrance to Arches National Park in Utah back in June. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. Ms Chang described the part of the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo as being like a metal spear or a lance and hit the car in literally a split second. "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. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. minutes. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. 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. A federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. will shell out more than $10 million in damages to the family of Esther Nakajjigo after she was killed in an accident at a Utah national park in. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who was driving. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. 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. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. "I'm doing whatever I can to get better. The ruling was. The United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. 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. She was subsequently named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. IE 11 is not supported. 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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. In court, Michaud described his relationship with Nakajjigo as the best time of his life., It feels lonely, and thats hard. Esther Nakajjigo was a prominent Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in Utah's Arches National Park in 2020. Opening arguments began Monday in Salt Lake City in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 25-year-old women's rights activist from Uganda who was killed by a wind-blown gate during a camping trip to Arches National Park in June 2020. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act, Passengers injured as turbulence rocks plane. 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. 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). Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. They argued that had employees installed the gate properly and secured it with an $8 padlock, Nakajjigos death could have been prevented, NBC News reported. A newlywed Denver couple's road trip to Arches National Park in Utah this summer ended in . 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. "We want you to know, on behalf of the United States, this accident and Essie's death was the responsibility of the United States," Nelson told Michaud. Nakajjigo had been celebrated for using money earmarked for her college tuition to instead open a nonprofit community health center in Uganda at age 17. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgment, saying it was the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. 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. Attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigos parents asked for $140 million in damages, while the government said an appropriate award would be roughly $3.5 million. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. McGinn, representing Nakajjigos family, likened her to a nonprofit CEO for an American charity and said she would have likely made millions throughout her life. Ms McGinn described Nakajjigo as a prominent womens rights activist who rose from poverty to become the host of a solutions-oriented reality television series in Uganda focused on empowering women around issues such as education and healthcare. The claim alleged that had park employees used an $8 padlock to secure the gate from moving in the breeze, it could have avoided the victim being "needlessly decapitated.". He no longer has a TV in his apartment because the sight of any blood is triggering, he said. She was named as Ugandas ambassador for women and girls and received an award from the United Nations after she used her university tuition money to start a non-profit community centre that offered free healthcare to girls and women aged 10 to 24. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax "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. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. 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. 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. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. When she was 17, she donated her university tuition money to start a private, nonprofit community health center that she named the Princess Diana Health Centre. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. Here's what lawmakers have directed schools to do, Can't take statins? FILE - Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. 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 We hope that, in some way, the conclusion of this trial will help with your moving forward.". As they were leaving the park on June 13, 2020, heavy winds apparently blew the metal entrance gate into the passenger side of the vehicle, striking and killing Nakajjigo. 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. The family says under federal park rules, similar gates should be secured, but the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo had been unlatched for weeks, Fox 13 reports. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. 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. SALT LAKE CITY The family of human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated in an accident in Arches National Park, has sued the National Park Service. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). While much less than they were initially seeking, the family was clearly pleased with the results -- with attorney Zoe Littlepage calling the amount "the largest verdict from a federal judge in Utah history.". 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. Human rights activist Esther Nakajjigo, 25, died on June 13, 2020, when a traffic control gate blew into her rental car at Arches National Park in the US state of Utah. 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 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. It impaled their car and decapitated Nakajjigo. 45 Join Insider . All rights reserved. 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. Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. 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.. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. "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 Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. FILE Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. The wind whipped a metal gate round which sliced through the passenger door of the car and decapitated Esther. "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. It's really a full-time job," he said. Even simple tasks like cooking rice stored in a jar that Nakajjigo bought before her death feel paralyzing, he said. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. 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. "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. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the. According to Deborah Chang, the Los Angeles-based trial attorney representing Michaud, there was nothing he could have done to swerve out of the way of the gate that killed his wife and narrowly missed him.