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. On Monday, a federal judge ruled Ludovic Michaud, the husband of Esther Nakajjigo, will receive $9.5 million, while Nakajjigo's mother and father were awarded $700,000 and $350,000, respectively, per the Salt Lake Tribune. Trial begins in civil suit filed for accidental beheading death at Arches, National Park Service faces $270M wrongful death claim for death at Arches, 6 people arrested following drive-by shooting in Iron County, Man struck, killed by FrontRunner in Clearfield, Legislative wrap: Under-the-radar bills you may have missed on the last day of the session, Northern Utah man faces 30 felonies in child pornography case, 15-year-old boy dies after being found in crashed car with gunshot wounds, Pennsylvania unseals more court document details in Idaho killings, Provo River diverted as restoration project reaches 'major milestone', 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Do not 'push a slower friend down' if you encounter a bear, National Park Service warns, CDC issues advisory after confirmed measles case in Kentucky, Police say man killed by Farmington officers had gun; victim's mom filed suit over other traffic stop, 27% of Utah students are chronically absent. Esther Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, pose at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. 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. The United States will pay more than $10 million in damages over the death of Esther Nakajjigo, a . 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. Nakajjigo was killed instantly. The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. Theres a newsletter that went out to all the parks and the National Park Service that warned of this decades ago. 2023 EHM Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Outside's long reads email newsletter features our strongest writing, most ambitious reporting, and award-winning storytelling about the outdoors. 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 the US National Parks Service seeking . After seeing a pregnant 14-year-old girl die during a difficult delivery, Nakajjigo decided to use her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center that provided free reproductive health services to females aged 10-24. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. 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. He smiled at some points as he shared photos and memories of happier times affectionate birthday cards, silly nicknames, meals cooked together, the rose petals Nakajjigo arranged into the shape of a heart with an "I" and a "U" on either side. Continuing her work brings him hope; he's already started a nonprofit in her name, the Esther Nakajjigo Foundation. McGinn argued that the smaller projections were based on categories of evaluation not allowed for under Utah law. Nakajjigo was not sure where she wanted to work whether it was in the U.S., back in Uganda or elsewhere but Michaud was willing to follow her wherever she could continue to make the most impact. But U.S. Attorney Amanda Berndt said while there's no question that the plaintiffs are entitled to a reward, a proper calculation of Nakajjigo's lost earnings must include the possibility that she might have left the workforce at some point for a variety of reasons. I really wanted to show her Arches, he told Fox 13. (Athea Trial Lawyers) Esther Nakajjigo is shown in this undated photo. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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 . Fox13 reports the metal. According to NBC, the claim was served Oct. 22, and 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.. Her husband, Michaud, is seeking $240 million in damages from the National Park Service, while Nakajjigo's family is seeking $30 million. None. 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. There have been gate accidents across the country, including another one on federal government property in 1980 in which a camper in California was impaled by a U.S. Forest Service road closure gate. At age 17, Nakajjigo. 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. The metal gate at Arches National Park, normally secured with a lock, was left untethered. The amount was far less than the $140 million Nakajjigos family originally sought. When he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw his beheaded wife. 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. The family of a human rights activist killed in a freak accident at Utah's Arches State Park won $10.5 million in damages from the U.S. government. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The administrative claim is a legally required precursor to a lawsuit, which is expected to be filed in about six months. ", 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 off, according to a wrongful death administrative claim obtained by NBC News. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. The sum they are seeking has not been disclosed, however a previous claim filed by the family against the National Park Service which is the step before a lawsuit can be filed asked for more than $A351 million. In pink tops and white pants, women celebrate free period products becoming available in Utahs state buildings, Proposal to boost Utah bar licenses gets smaller with another round of cuts by lawmakers, Moab, Park City cry foul as Utah lawmakers target rules for vacation homes. 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. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. Attorneys for the government have not disputed that park officials are at fault but instead have disputed how much the family should be awarded. Berndt also said her team can take into account only Nakajjigo's education and earning history at the time of her death, exclusive from the money she raised for charitable organizations. Nakajjigo and her husband Ludovic Michaud were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the region's national parks months after their wedding. She was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. She was also awarded a full scholarship from the king of Buganda. 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. She was particularly passionate about reducing teenage pregnancy and created two reality television shows that empowered women. 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. "I'll respond as soon as I'm able," Jenkins said. Esther Nakajjigo was driving with her newlywed husband on their honeymoon in Arches when an open road gate was swung by strong winds into their rental car. Her dreams were just about to come true, Chang said. 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. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Arches National Park in 2020. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Michaud, Nakajjigo's husband, spoke about the intense trauma he's endured since his wife's death, including sleeplessness, nightmares and suicidal ideation. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. 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. 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. What if he hadn't suggested the trip. Michaud's wife, Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was a celebrated human rights activist in her home country of Uganda. It claims three other people have died from similar incidents involving gates in the last 32 years. 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.