Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Nakajjigo family. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. 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.. SALT LAKE CITY A judge awarded $10.2 million to the family and spouse of Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo, who was killed by an unsecured gate at Arches National Park in 2020.. Nakajjigo, 25, a women's rights activist from Uganda, was killed when driving in Arches National Park with Ludovic "Ludo" Michaud during a camping trip on June 13, 2020. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Nakajjigo family. It alleges that if park employees had properly installed the gate to not swing into oncoming traffic or placed an $8 padlock on the gate to secure it from moving in the breeze, the world would not have lost a young woman influencer destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey.. "I've always wanted to meet him, though not in this way," he said. In June, the couple needed a break from quarantine, so they drove to Utah. "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. 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. Family of woman, 25, decapitated by metal gate at Utah Park sue The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations, CBS Colorado reported. He filed his claim October 22. 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. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. Its still hard to concentrate, but I try to.. She received multiple honors for her humanitarian work and was attending a leadership program in Bolder, Colorado, at the time of her death. The wrongful death claim was served on October 22 and seeks more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service, the outlet reported. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at The suit was filed last . Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. The plaintiffs contend multiple federal policies require such gates to be secured, but that the gate near the visitors center at Arches was unlatched for two weeks before it struck Nakajjigo. Its likely the first step in a lengthy federal lawsuit. The couple, who lived together in Denver, Colorado, were exiting the park on June 13 to get ice cream when a metal gate swung loose and pierced their car, the newspaper continued. The family of Esther Nakajjigo was awarded over $10 million from the U.S. government in a wrongful death case stemming from a tragic accident in 2020. Esther Nakajjigo Of Denver Decapitated By Gate :Family Files $270M Nelson, the government's attorney, said an appropriate award would be $3.5 million, far less than the $140 million being pursued. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. It argues that park employees only needed to install the gate with an $8 padlock to prevent it from killing a young woman influencer destined to become our societys future Princess Diana, Philanthropist Melinda Gates, or Oprah Winfrey, NBC News said. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Uganda's ambassador for women and girls. Denver woman killed during visit to Arches National Park Please enter valid email address to continue. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death Download the app . 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. "For how majestic these parks are, it's kind of shocking how rudimentary these gates are," she said. I found her really interesting. 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. Throughout the trial, attorneys debated estimates of Nakajjigos earnings potential. The couple hiked to Delicate Arch and ate lunch in the Windows area before starting their drive out of the park. 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 a statement to CBS News on Monday. In the court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, Chang described the gates as the same color as the landscape. The family is hoping to use money from the case to continue Essies projects. 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. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. Other reasons for that sum is who Nakajjigo was and what she. Liability is the exception rather than the rule, Kozlowski said. They were driving toward the exit when suddenly a gust of wind lifted a metal gate and the arm swung into the roadway. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigo's mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. The family's lawsuit claims when the national parks reopened in April 2020 after being shuttered due to COVID-19, rangers at the national park in Utah didn't secure the gate in place, which in effect "turned a metal pipe into a spear that went straight through the side of a car, decapitating and killing Esther Nakajjigo.". At 17 years old, Nakajjigo used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, NBC News reported. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. But an attorney for her parents and husband said they were grateful for the judgment, which represents the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. An activist's dreams 'were about to come true.' Then, a horrific "I'm trying to be a star, to be able to lighten the lives of the people who feel it's dark," she said. 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. The claim, served Oct. 22, is seeking more than $270 million in damages from the National Park Service. Nominate Someone for a FOX 13 Dream Team Surprise! The suit was filed last week in federal court in Denver by the widower and parents of Nakajjigo. View of the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. Newlyweds Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo and Ludovic Michaud visited the park in mid June. Nakajjigo accomplished more by age 25 than most people do in a lifetime. They said claims by the family's lawyers that Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time of her death, was on track to be a nonprofit CEO shortly were too speculative to be used as a basis for damages. 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. Family of woman killed by gate at Arches National Park awarded $10.2M Michaud and Nakajjigo met over a dating app while they both had recently arrived in the Denver area. 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. Its a fear of erasing her, I guess, when you use something that she bought or that she ate or that we did together.. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Arches National Park is a 120-square-mile desert landscape near Moab, Utah, that is visited by more than 1.5 million people annually. 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. At this time, I do not have more information to share.". Heres what you need to know about Esther Nakajjigo: Saving Innocence Challenge is a high school reality TV show of urban school girls empowering their rural counterparts to prevail over teenage pregnancy and keep in school. Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a womens rights champion in Uganda. Trying To Figure Out How To Move Forward: Widower Of Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate At Arches National Park Struggles After Trauma. IE 11 is not supported. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Mail that Nakajjigo has continued to receive after her death has been a stark reminder of the life they should still be enjoying together. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. U.S. Govt. Only Wants to Pay $3.5 Million to Family of Woman 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 United Nations Population Fund awarded her a Woman Achiever Award," the claim states. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. In June, Nakajjigo was visiting the park with her new husband, Ludovic Michaud, Moab Sun News reported. Instead of planning their future together, Michaud is now processing the trauma and grief of Nakajjigos gruesome death and hoping the lawsuit his attorney plans to file will save other families from experiencing what he did. "Our sympathies go out to Esther Nakajjigo's family, friends and those whose lives she impacted," Public Affairs specialist Vanessa Lacayo said in a statement. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5M for Utah park death Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue. Randy Rost was injured when the camper pickup truck in which he was riding was impaled on a piece of gate in the Stanislaus National Forest, California, according to a court document. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. By his verdict, Judge Bruce Jenkins has shown the world how the American justice system works to hold its own government accountable and greatly values all lives, including that of Esther Nakajjigo, a remarkable young woman from Uganda," Randi McGinn, the family's attorney said in a statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "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. 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.. 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. 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. In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah.
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