We've received your submission. Apparently when Disneyland says no selfies, they mean it - even if you're a celebrity! Tragically, the father was pronounced deceased at the scene. A family hike in Arches National Park ended in tragedy as a Massachusetts father collapsed while exploring with his wife and son. Nakajjigo's husband and parents filed a $270 million administrative claim against the National Park Service in 2021 over her death. 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. Other covers in the series include Arches, Death Valley, Denali, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and more. 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. 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 story has been shared 152,729 times. Each area is unique and provides its guests with diverse experiences so it is good to stay in one of these areas or the nearby villages of Valles, Williams, and Tusayan. In fact it is the hottest and driest place on earth period. Here are our favorites. Death Valley National Park, California-Nevada It's a place of extremes: Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places on earth, it's also one of the darkest. Her case was labeled a homicide, with Laundrie being the sole suspect. 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. Park staff told investigators the gate was usually left unsecured, and that typically the gates own weight kept it in place, so it was not locked in place by any other means. "Essie was a remarkable humanitarian and champion for women and girls. 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. Yosemite, and Death Valley. They argue that the U.S. Park Service was negligent and did not maintain the gates at the entrances and exits to the parks, leading to Nakajjigos death. Denver7 reached out to he National Park Service to ask about the accident. To plan the safest and most enjoyable Arches trip, see our full overview of the national park here. United Statesattorneys do not dispute that park officials shouldered the blame but argued the amount the family should be awarded is far less at $3.5 million and called into question the ways in which the damages being sought were calculated. 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. She could lift mountains, basically, in her own way. Attorneys for the family of a Ugandan activist killed by a swinging metal gate at Arches National Park in Utah are seeking $140 million in damages in a wrongful A Torrance couple died and their adult son was injured after the family of three plummeted down a 100-foot slope in Arches National Park in Utah on Friday, Nov. 29, officials said. A third man who fell was airlifted to a local hospital in Moab. Park rangers said the incident happened Friday when the 71-year-old man from Massachusetts was with his wife and son. The park had 3.7 deaths for every 100,000 visitors from 2007 to 2021, more than three times the rate of the next-deadliest site, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park They went on a hike and had a picnic, and were driving to get ice cream when the gate swung into their path. Esther Nakajjigo, whod moved to Colorado in 2019 to attend the Watson Institute in Boulder, was killed instantly. The park service previously issued a statement expressing sympathy to Nakajjigos family. As they entered the park on June 13, high winds blew the park entrance gate, a swinging pole, back across the highway. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. WebFactors that make Arches National Park sensitive to visitor damage include being a semiarid region, the scarce, unpredictable rainfall, lack of deep freezing, and lack of plant litter, which results in soils that have both a low resistance to and slow recovery from, compressional forces such as foot traffic. FOX 13 reported earlier this year how Nakajjigo died June 13, 2020, after wind caught a traffic control gate and blew it into the rented Chevy Malibu driven by her husband, Ludo Michaud. 3. r/JoshuaTree. After requesting that the family leave the courtroom, she recounted the moment Michaud realized his wife had been killed, when he inhaled the copper-tinged smell of blood, turned to figure out what it was and saw she was dead. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Esther "Essie" Nakajjigo's husband Ludovic Michaud will receive $9.5 million while her mother Christine Namagembe will receive $700,000, according to the judgment filed in federal court. The Late 'Rust' Cinematographer's Family, Life and Career, Jen Shah Fraud Case: U.S. Government Requests to Sentence 'RHOSLC' Star to 10 Years in Prison, Gabby Petito's Family Wins $3 Million from Brian Laundrie's Estate In Wrongful Death Suit, Fact-Checking the George Santos Claims: From Goldman Sachs Employee to College 'Volleyball Star', Jen Shah's Victim Impact Letters Detail 'Everyday Struggle' After Fraud Scheme 'Turned Our Lives Upside Down'. Nominate Someone for a FOX 13 Dream Team Surprise! The newlyweds were on their drive out with Nakajjigo in the passenger seat when a strong wind pushed the park's entrance gate into the road, and sliced through their rental car "like a hot knife through butter," the claim said, according to the AP. I ended her life, he reportedly wrote in October 2021. We asked the Park Service about the swing gates and were told that both sides are now padlocked when in the "open" position. Two California visitors fell to their deaths while hiking to the Delicate Arch sandstone formation in Arches National Park. Staying with companions while hiking allows for emergency aid contact, as was the case in this mans tragic death. An unidentified 60-year-old woman and 65-year-old man were killed in the fall Friday into the lower bowl area next to the iconic arch, according to a statement from the Grand County Sheriffs Office in Moab, Utah. The family of a women's rights activist from Uganda sued the National Park Service in June 2021 after she was decapitated the previous year by a gate at Utah's Arches National Two tourists fell to their death while hiking in a popular area of Utahs Arches National Park on Friday, authorities said. Nakajjigo was a Ugandan singer and actress who reportedly did charity work. While most people have heard of Yosemite and Joshua Tree, this California park doesnt get enough recognition for its beauty. Arches National Park - 332 miles. And we want to express on behalf of the United States our profound sorrow for your loss," per the newspaper. The metal pole forming the top of the gate pierced the passenger side of the car and struck Nakajjigo in the head and neck. A man has died after collapsing to the ground while hiking in Arches National Park. An unidentified 60-year-old woman and Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. WebHet Arches National Park is een klein nationaal park bij Moab in het oosten van de Amerikaanse staat Utah.Er zijn diverse wandelingen (trails) in het park.Ook is er een bezoekerscentrum. Photo: Getty Images. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Tuxedo cat named Augustus Gloop is up for adoption, Utah BASE jumper slams into side of mountain. FOX 13 reported earlier this year how Nakajjigo died June 13, 2020. Essie's father John Bocso Kateregga will receive $350,000. Things to do in Zion. It wasnt immediately clear why the three fell. Family Files $270M Claim Against National Park Service After Death of 25-Year-Old Newlywed: Reports, Boy, 14, Killed at North Carolina Rodeo During First Bull Ride: 'My Lil Cowboy', Tom Girardi, Estranged Husband of 'RHOBH' Star Erika Girardi, Indicted on Fraud Charges, Veteran Alleges George Santos Scammed Him Out of $3K Meant for Dog's Cancer Treatment Santos Denies It, Girl, 17, Dies Suddenly at Treatment Center for Teens Second Case in Utah This Year, Newlywed Found Decapitated in Her Home, Her Husband of 3 Months Allegedly Confessed to Killing Her, Who Was Halyna Hutchins? In a statement to the newspaper, U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Trina Higgins, said Nakajjigo's family was entitled to damages. "I turned my head and saw what I wish I didn't see.". A man has died after collapsing to the ground while hiking in Arches National Park. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. I really wanted to show her Arches, he said, because I know all the parks around Moab It's one of my favorite places in the U.S., if not my favorite place.. "For how majestic these parks are, it's kind of shocking how rudimentary these gates are," she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. CPR was performed on the individual on site. 165. A man has died after collapsing to the ground while hiking in Arches National Park. Many of these incidents could be avoided with visitors planning and making responsible decisions. A video of the crash shows Michaud was driving and Nakajjigo was in the front passenger seat as they drove toward the gate at about the same speed as other vehicles, according to a sheriffs report. For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good, the claim said. This incident happened June 13 just before 2 p.m. as the couple were leaving the park, according to the claim. A video tribute to his wife showed her talking about her name, in an earlier recording. Esther Nakajjigo, 25, Rep. Andy Biggs to challenge Kevin McCarthy for GOP House Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Sick trolls leak gruesome Maggie Murdaugh autopsy photo after it was accidentally shown on livestream, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after brain aneurysm, How Ariana Madix discovered Tom Sandoval was cheating on her with Raquel Leviss, Raquel Leviss, Tom Sandoval affair allegedly pre-dated Tom Schwartz hookup, Max Scherzer's first look at the new pitch clock, Chris Rock Jokes About Watching Emancipation to See Will Smith Getting Whipped In Advance of Netflix Special: Report, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. Wake up to the day's most important news. Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. After moving to Colorado, Nakajjigo met her husband hed moved to the area from France and the pair married in March, just as the coronavirus pandemic began to make news. In October, Nakajjigos husband, Ludovic Michaud, and her parents filed a $270 million wrongful death claim a precursor to a formal lawsuit against the park, alleging that the gate should have been secured to prevent it from swinging into the road. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "For want of an $8 basic padlock, our world lost an extraordinary warrior for good," the claim said. WebThe park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. She was one in a billion, Your Honor, attorney Randi McGinn told the judge, according to FOX 13 Salt Lake City. On February 24, park witnesses saw the 71-year-old male collapsing to the ground and becoming unresponsive, Arches (ARCH) officials report.That afternoon, emergency personnel would respond from Classic Many have said that Dead Horse Point State Park has been overlooked by the National Park Service. Attorneys for Michaud and Nakajjigos family gave their opening arguments when the civil trial began Monday. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. WebArches National Park has a busy search and rescue operation. Death Valley National Park - 366 miles. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. That afternoon, emergency personnel would respond from Classic Air Medical, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management,and Grand County. Gabby Petito's Parents File $50 Million Lawsuit Against Utah Police Over Her Death, Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino and Lauren Sorrentino's Relationship Timeline, Utah Babysitter Claimed Infant Stopped Breathing in Crib. RELATED: Utah teen dies after falling 150 feet while climbing near cliff, police say. Travel within United States is: Unrestricted. Lehman Caves Visitor Center 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. "We respect the judge's decision and hope this award will help her loved ones as they continue to heal for this tragedy," the statement read. 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. Petito was found deceased in Wyoming on September 19, 2021, at the Grand Teton National Park. A hike through scenic Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, turned deadly for one man on Friday after he collapsed and became unresponsive on the trail. At Arches, you can expect to see animals such as bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyotes, and a variety of bird species such as golden eagles and peregrine falcons. The incident will remain under investigation by the Grand County Sheriffs Office as well as the National Park Service, the outlet cites. Read more Print length 56 pages Language English Publication date February 22, 2023 Dimensions 4 x 0.13 x 6 inches See all details Product details ASIN : B0BW2HRDBL The gate reportedly smashed through the side of the car and struck Nakajjigo in the neck, killing her. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. Arches National Park is open 24 hours a day year-round, regardless of the weather. Prosecuting attorney Randi McGinn described the death in gruesome detail and said if Nakajjigos life had not been cut short, she would have gone on to become a non-profit CEO who could eventually have netted an annual income in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions. Below, youll find general hiking safety for the park that greatly increases the safety of your trip: In all national parks, the buddy system will always be the best way to ensure a safe visit. Two California visitors fell to their deaths while hiking to the Delicate Arch sandstone formation in Arches National Park. The show saw an audience of 6.3 million each week, and Nakajjigo was named Ugandas Young Personality of the Year.. Fourteen people died in North Cascades in those 15 years, when an average of just over 25,000 I want to see hotel recommendations when using Rome2rio During the trial, a U.S. attorney representing the government said, "The United States was 100 percent at fault. This story has been shared 167,214 times. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Users on Facebook offered their condolences, with one saying she hopes the nearby town of Moab will gather round the family of the deceased to support them. See details. Her Crater Lake National 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. 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"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. Doesn't look anything like the license plate." 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. In Sequoia National Park, the highlight is seeing the massive redwood trees, some of which may be up to 2,000 Canyonlands National Park Jan. 31, 2023 Plan completed on October 18, 2022 9. The weather was inclement and conditions were slippery following rain and snow. Alongside theNational Park Service, Outsider wants visit to be safe, memorable, enjoyable, and above all: safe. 1 / 9. The judge is expected to issue his ruling in the coming weeks. The lawsuit alleges that a simple $8 padlock could have prevented the gate from swinging, and claims the park violated regulations, CBS Colorado reported. A family hike in Arches National Park ended in tragedy as a Massachusetts father collapsed while exploring with his wife and son. WebHere are some of the highlights of my countless trips to the three National Parks (Banff, Jasper and Yoho) in the Canadian Rockies. Trial begins over death of Ugandan woman killed at Arches National Park. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The family of a women's rights activist from Uganda has filed a more than $270 million wrongful death claim against the National Park Service. According to the Grand County Sheriffs Department, the 71-year-old from Massachusetts was out hiking with his wife and son when the tragic incident occurred. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. This verdict, though the largest by a federal judge in Utah history, cannot replace the immeasurable loss suffered by her husband and family. First published on December 6, 2022 / 9:23 AM. The couple hiked to Delicate Arch and ate lunch in the Windows area before starting their drive out of the park. Esther Nakajjigo, a native of Uganda, accomplished more at age 25 than most do in a lifetime. The pole gate pierced the passenger compartment of the couple's rental car, a Chevy Malibu, and decapitated Esther. WebDeath Valley is known for its austere, barren, Mars-like terrain, but for a few weeks in the spring, this desolate National Park transforms into a colorful wildflower-studded garden. First responders from several agencies, including the National Park Service and the sheriffs department, arrived on the scene and attempted to perform CPR, but they could not prevent the mans untimely death. In the court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, Chang described the gates as the same color as the landscape. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A National Park Service spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday. First responders arrived on the scene and performed CPR before the man was pronounced dead. Thanks for contacting us. Heat-related We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. WebGRAND COUNTY, Utah A trial is underway after a woman was decapitated at Arches National Park. The family Essie Nakajjigo, an activist who died in Arches National Park in 2020, is preparing to head to trial for a wrongful death lawsuit. We are grateful that Judge Jenkins honored Essie's life and legacy with this award," Littlepage said in a statement to PEOPLE. Then She Was Charged with Murder, Danny Masterson Rape Trial Declared a Mistrial After Jurors Are Unable to Come to Unanimous Verdict, Julie Chrisley Said She Was 'Living in Fear' Ahead of Her and Husband Todd's Sentencing. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Sadly, deaths are not uncommon in the park. She was also the brains behind two reality TV shows that aimed to empower young mothers and encourage girls to stay in school. "On behalf of the United States, we again extend our condolences to Ms. Nakajjigo's friends, family and beloved community.". (KKCO) - The National Park Service announced in a press release that it has identified the body of a woman found in Arches National Park earlier this week. She said entrance gates should be locked into place whether they are open or closed. ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Utah - An investigation is underway after a hiker collapsed and later died at Arches National Park in Utah.