He filed his claim October 22. The wind whipped a metal. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. Let others know about your loved one's death. The United States will pay family members of Esther Nakajjigo, a Ugandan human rights activist killed in an accident at Arches National Park more than $10 million in damages, a federal judge ruled . #EDD #sheiswe pic.twitter.com/VUD1jd7U7H, Esther Nakajjigo (@nakajjigo) June 7, 2018. ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Utah - Trial began Monday, Dec. 5 for the death of Ugandan women's activist Esther Nakajjigo, who died after a gate at Arches National Park swung open and decapitated her.The family is in federal court with a $140million-dollar wrongful lawsuit and personal claim lawsuit against the National Park Service.The U.S. already admitted responsibility for the wrongful death . Esther Nakajjigo: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com A spokeswoman said the single vehicle accident happened June 13 on the entrance road of Arches National Park, near the Visitor's Center, and that the entrance was shut down for several hours. "Multiple fatalities" in massive pile-up on Illinois highway, Yellen warns U.S. could default on debt as early as June 1. 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. Family of Ugandan philanthropist decapitated by traffic gate in Arches 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 large monetary damages being sought on behalf of Michaud and Nakajjigos parents are a reflection of the suffering they have gone through plus the loss of Nakajjigos future income and fundraising abilities, Chang said. I didnt know who she was at first, Michaud, 26, told NBC News in his first interview since Nakajjigos death. The trip to the wind-weathered sandstone of Arches National Park was supposed to be a celebration a chance for Ludovic Michaud, of Denver, to show his new wife one of his favorite landmarks. Chang filed the paperwork notifying the National Park Service that a lawsuit will be filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, seeking damages for Ludovic, and for Nakajjigo's mother and father. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigo's mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. They had a courthouse ceremony in March, with plans to throw a big wedding in Uganda once it was safe to travel again. . This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Everything reminds Michaud of Nakajjigo. But rather a sex object, a cola to quench sexual thirst of sex-hungry men who have power and control in the refugee settlements. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. Upon leaving, an unsecured metal gate swung into the road, killing Nakajjigo who was sitting in the passenger seat. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. She earned numerous global awards and traveled to the U.S. to further her education, the newspaper reported. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). 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. U.S. Govt. Only Wants to Pay $3.5 Million to Family of Woman Of the accidents aftermath, Michaud told FOX 13: I saw the worst thing I hope I will ever see.. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. 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. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. Several dozen per day. As the couple was leaving the park, gusts of wind swung the gate around rapidly, enough to slice through the passenger side door of the couples car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat feet away in the drivers seat. He didnt know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. In their legal complaint, Michaud and Nakajjigos parents said the National Park Service was negligent for not maintaining the gate. Businessman Awarded Sh126 Million for Land Forcefully Taken to Build SGR The Environment and Land Court has awarded over Sh126 Hotel Rwanda hero and government critic arrives in US Paul Rusesabagina, an outspoken critic of the Rwandan government, has arrived 2023 SAMRACK - Diaspora News & Updates; design by: Samrack. The metal pole forming the top of the gate pierced the passenger side of the car and struck Nakajjigo in the head and neck. 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.. Trial begins for Ugandan death in Arches National Park Activist, 25, hailed as 'future Oprah or Princess Diana' is At age 17, Nakajjigo. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. They said you have to lock it or its going to impale a car, so everyone knows, Chang said. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, was driving around the stunning Arches National Park in Utah, US, in 2020 along with her husband Ludovic Michaud when the unthinkable happened. 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 "Essie" Nakajjigo. Attorney Randi McGinn, representing Nakajjigo's family, on Monday described the death in gruesome detail. 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. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim said. Family of woman killed by gate at Arches National Park awarded $10.2M Denver Woman Decapitated By Gate: Family Files $270M Wrongful Death 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. A widow and his wife's family are seeking $140 million in damages from the U.S. government more than two years after a woman was killed in a Utah national park. Ludovic's attorney, Deborah Chang, told Denver7 the entrance gate should have been locked open, and not allowed to swing freely. Her passions included lowering teen pregnancy, as well as creating two reality television shows that empowered women, the outlet reported. Throughout the trial, attorneys debated estimates of Nakajjigo's earnings potential. As they entered the park on June 13, high winds blew the park entrance gate, a swinging pole, back across the highway. Esther Nakajjigo, age 25, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Saturday June 13, 2020. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. "I don't want anyone or any other family to go through what we've been through," Michaud told CBS affiliate KUTV. Members get 15+ publications right in your pocket. 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.. 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. Trial begins two years after newlywed was beheaded by metal gate at The couple hiked to Delicate Arch and ate lunch in the Windows area before starting their drive out of the park. "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. 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. FOX 13 reported earlier this year how Nakajjigo died June 13, 2020. 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. "This act of selflessness went viral throughout Uganda, and she was featured in numerous magazines and news publications. Esther Nakajjigo: Trial begins for woman beheaded by metal gate in Utah