The same year, Nakajjigo was named Ugandas ambassador for women and girls. "Emergency response personnel from the National Park Service, Grand County Sheriffs Office, Grand County EMS, Moab City Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol and Moab Valley Fire Department responded to the scene to provide assistance. Nakajjigo was a performer who used her celebrity to improve the status of women and girls in Uganda. The same year, Nakajjigo was. She earned numerous global awards and traveled to the U.S. to further her education, the newspaper reported. The same year, Nakajjigo was named Uganda's ambassador for women and girls. Nakajjigo also created a reality television show in Uganda focused on helping teenage mothers stay in school and learn life skills. Twitter National parks begin to reopen across the country. Shes done more at the age of 25 than most people do in their entire lives, she said. Olinger Hampden Mortuary, Cremation & Cemetery, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. Michaud says he wants to keep her legacy going, but he also wants the gates at National Parks and forests across the U.S. to be safe for visitors. One, Saving Innocence, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school. Wilson Jaga, head of communications for the Office of Ugandas Ambassador for Women and Girls, advocated for her return in a statement obtained by the outlet, writing: We have also petitioned the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda requesting that H. E. Esther Nakajjigos short lived but very instrumental life be celebrated and Essie accorded a State Funeral as a symbol of recognition of small interventions made by young people to make their country a great nation. "I've always wanted to meet him, though not in this way," he said. McGinn said if her life hadn't been cut short that Nakajjigo's trajectory suggested she would have gone on to become a nonprofit CEO who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions. 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. "Nakajjigo, who went by Essie, was a women's rights champion in Uganda. Their economic expert will testify that her death represents a. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. "It could have happened to the people in front of us, or behind us," he said. Nakajjigo, 25, was a Ugandan human rights activist and moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder. The family of Esther Nakajjigo accused the National Park Service of negligence for not properly securing the metal gate that killed her. It could have happened to anyone and if nothing is done, its going to happen again, he said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Here's how. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah ruled that the U.S. government must pay her family more than $10 million in damages. I couldnt work properly for a couple of months. Esther Nakajjigo was a prominent Ugandan human rights activist who was killed in Utah's Arches National Park in 2020. This photo was taken in the hours before a gate swung into the couple's car, killing Nakajjigo. Nakajjigo was involved in countless philanthropic endeavors. "I'm trying to be a star, to be able to lighten the lives of the people who feel it's dark," she said. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigos earnings potential. Esther Nakajjigo, a 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist, was killed in a horrific accident at Arches National Park on June 13, 2020. In opening statements Monday in Salt Lake City, attorneys representing Michaud and Nakajjigo's family said they were seeking $140 million in damages from the government. The pole gate pierced the passenger compartment of the couple's rental car, a Chevy Malibu, and decapitated Esther. Michaud, from France, took a job at a start-up. View of the Delicate Arch at sunset in the Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on April 21, 2018. In his judgement, Jenkins said the government had provided a more reasonable projection of Nakajjigo's earnings potential. Other reasons for that sum is who Nakajjigo was and what she. She met Michaud on Tinder in 2019, when she was attending a leadership program in Boulder, Colorado. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. Saving Innocence, one of the shows, depicted teenage girls from urban areas helping teen moms in rural communities go back to school, NBC News said. IE 11 is not supported. 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. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations, CBS Colorado reported. 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.. Ugandan activist's family awarded $10.5 million for Utah death - Los Angeles Times She served as an ambassador for women and girls in her native Uganda, and created a reality TV show to combat early pregnancy and forced marriage. 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. One time it was the delivery of her Social Security card; another time, an update on her immigration status. We asked the Park Service about the swing gates and were told that both sides are now padlocked when in the "open" position. The suit was filed last week in federal court in Denver by the widower and parents of Nakajjigo. He didnt know Nakajjigo had a massive following in her native Uganda. Nakajjigo, who was 25 at the time, was "needlessly decapitated," according to a wrongful death administrative claim obtained by NBC News. 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. Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludovic Michaud, were vacationing in eastern Utah, visiting the regions national parks months after their wedding. 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 By SAM METZ Associated Press January 31, 2023, 11:37 AM 2:19 National headlines from ABC News Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. Nakajjigo created a reality TV show that helped child mothers stay in school and develop life skills, according to The Denver Post. Attorneys representing the U.S. commended her work, yet noted her most recent job was working at a restaurant making $15 per hour. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. FOX 13 reported earlier this year how Nakajjigo died June 13, 2020. Michaud was not injured in the accident, but he was covered head-to-toe in his wifes blood. Nakajjigo married Denver man Ludovic Michaud in March 2020. 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. Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Though the amount was substantially less than pursued, attorneys representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo celebrated the judgement, saying it was the largest federal wrongful death verdict in Utah history. In the court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, Chang described the gates as the same color as the landscape. The National Park Service did not respond to repeated inquiries from NBC News, nor did Arches National Park Chief Ranger Scott Brown. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. The Uganda native met Michaud in June 2019 through a dating app in Aurora, Colorado, according to NBC News. On Monday, a federal judge in Utah . Esther Nakajjigo. I found her really interesting. 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Instead, the Utah park became the site of a horrific accident that killed her. Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. 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. Throughout the trial, attorneys debated estimates of Nakajjigos earnings potential. Esther Nakajjigo was exiting the park June 13 when the sharp end of a freely swinging gate pierced her car, killing Nakajjigo and narrowly missing her husband. 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. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. 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 two married in March in a courthouse ceremony and had plans to have a big wedding in Uganda once it was safe to travel again, the outlet reported. She founded the Princess Diana Health Center, Moab Sun News continued. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. 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.". Nakajjigos remains were flown back to Uganda in August. As they entered the park on June 13, high winds blew the park entrance gate, a swinging pole, back across the highway. 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 . The gruesome nature of Nakajjigos death and the fact that she was a renowned Ugandan womens rights activist drew widespread attention to the case. 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. 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 . Denver7's Lance Hernandez reports. "For how majestic these parks are, it's kind of shocking how rudimentary these gates are," she said. After requesting that the family leave the courtroom, she recounted the moment Michaud. Esther was born April 16, 1995. As recreation areas in eastern Utah reopened that summer, Michaud was excited to take his new wife to Arches National Park, and the two drove there in June. The family of Ugandan philanthropist Esther Nakajjigo, who was decapitated by a traffic gate in front of her husband in Arches National Park in Utah, has been awarded $10.5m. Chang has filed a $270 million claim for wrongful death. A video tribute to his wife showed her talking about her name, in an earlier recording. But on June 13, she and her husband needed a break from quarantine and headed toward Arches National Park in Utah. 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 familys attorney said in a statement. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue. Activist Esther Nakajjigo dies in the U.S NTVUganda 930K subscribers Subscribe 28K views 2 years ago The family of Esther Nakajjigo a Ugandan Activist who died in the US is asking 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. Yet park employees could have done a lot, the claim alleges, including taking note during inspections of the gate that it posed a danger and putting an inexpensive padlock on it. In his ten-page verdict, U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Jenkins said the government admitted fault and apologized for Nakajjigos death. I felt completely meaningless after losing Nakajjigo, he said. 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. I found her really interesting. Esther Nakajjigo, age 25, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Saturday June 13, 2020. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Nakajjigo family. Denver7 reached out to he National Park Service to ask about the accident. Nakajjigo's younger brother John, who traveled from Uganda to the U.S. to be at the trial, told KUTV that life without his sister has been extremely tough, but he is grateful for the opportunity to be at the trial and also meet Nakajjigo's husband for the first time. But rather a sex object, a cola to quench sexual thirst of sex-hungry men who have power and control in the refugee settlements. Several dozen per day. Download the app. 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. Powered by, according to a wrongful death administrative claim obtained by NBC News, Famous Rappers Brother Dies From Apparent Suicide. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations. The ruling was. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. What it means to be a woman in the world's largest refugee settlement..it means you don't own anything not even your body. 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. 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. A lot of things remind me of her, Michaud told the Salt Lake Tribune. 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. "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. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigo's mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. 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. 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. Jenkins awarded Michaud $9.5 million; Nakajjigos mother, Christine Namagembe, $700,000; and her father, John Bosco Kateregga, $350,000. What awaited them there was as awful as it was unthinkable. Im still struggling with that, Michaud said. / CBS Colorado. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. "I turned my head and saw what I wish I didn't see.". The. Nominate Someone for a FOX 13 Dream Team Surprise! 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. Im still trying to figure out how to move forward, how to wake up in the morning., What he saw and experienced that day, I cannot even imagine, said Deborah Chang, an attorney representing Michaud and the Nakajjigo family. 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. Michaud, who hails from France, told the station during his first interview since his wifes death that he just saw her as a smart person who loved to laugh.. She said there was nothing that visually set them apart. November 12, 2020 / 2:34 PM The park service previously issued a statement expressing sympathy to Nakajjigos family. 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. Our mission is to make sure this doesnt happen again, Michaud said. @ArielleHarrison https://t.co/YoCT50YObz. In June, Nakajjigo was visiting the park with her new husband, Ludovic Michaud, Moab Sun News reported. At age 17, Nakajjigo was recognized by the United Nations for her work for women, according to the claim. Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. Michaud hopes he and Nakajjigos family can continue her legacy. I didnt know who she was at first, the 26-year-old expressed to NBC News. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. 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. They had a courthouse ceremony in March, with plans to throw a big wedding in Uganda once it was safe to travel again. He noted she had recently worked as a host at a restaurant around the time of her death and didn't have a Bachelor's degree. 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. Esther Nakajjigo was killed at Utah's Arches National Park when a metal pipe from a swinging gate decapitated her. I had a ton of flashbacks. 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 couple's car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat feet away in the driver's seat. At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. 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.. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Nakajjigo family. The young activist participated in programs at Drexel University in Philadelphia as a Mandela Washington Fellow and at the Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado as a Luff Peace Fellow, Moab Sun News said. The couple had been married about three months. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The suit was filed last . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? At just 17, using her college tuition money, she created a nonprofit community health center. IE 11 is not supported. Posted at 10:15 PM, Nov 12, 2020 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 . 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. Nakajjigos family will have to show her death was caused by more than negligence, said James C. Kozlowski, an associate professor of recreation management at George Mason University who studies legal issues in the outdoor industry. At 17 years old, Nakajjigo used her college tuition money to start a nonprofit community health center, NBC News reported. 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. She said entrance gates should be locked into place whether they are open or closed. 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. Her passions included lowering teen pregnancy, as well as creating two reality television shows that empowered women, the outlet reported. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. Nakajjigo, who was 25, lived with her husband in Denver, where she moved to attend a leadership course on a full scholarship. We loved getting out and going to beautiful places, Michaud said. She was consistently working to improve the lives of women in Africa and beyond. The metal gate at Arches National Park, normally secured with a lock, was left untethered. This is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened. Show your support Send Flowers Send flowers or a sympathy gift to a service or family. Esther Nakajjigo (credit: Ludovic Michaud). 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. 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.
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