Family of women’s rights activist decapitated by gate in Utah sues National Park Service
The family of women’s rights activist from Uganda has filed a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service after she was decapitated by an unlatched gate at Arches National Park in Utah.
Esther Nakajjigo was traveling with her husband in June 2020 when the tragedy unfolded, according to the lawsuit filed in Denver.
The newlyweds were exiting the well-known park just as the wind caught the gate, Fox13-KSTU in Salt Lake City reported. It had been left open for nearly two weeks, which is against federal policy, before it sliced through the side of their rented car, fatally striking 25-year-old Nakajjigo in the head and neck, the lawsuit said.
Her 26-year-old husband, Ludo Michaud, who witnessed the incident, called it the “worst thing I hope I will ever see.” The gate narrowly missed Michaud, who is originally from Paris but now lives in Denver.
While the suit does not specify the amount of damages being sought, Nakajjigo’s family has previously filed a $270 million notice of claim, which must be filed ahead of lawsuits against government agencies.
Nakajjigo, born in Kampala, Uganda, used her university tuition money to start a nonprofit community health care center for girls and young women when she was just a teenager. Despite her young age, she had already earned numerous humanitarian awards and created a popular reality television series aimed at empowering young mothers.
She was also attending a social-entrepreneurship program in Colorado at the Watson Institute at the time of her death.
A National Park Service spokesperson declined comment on the lawsuit, KSTU reported.
With News Wire Services
