MOAB, Utah (ABC4) — The United States District Court in Utah has ordered $10.55 million in damages to be awarded to the family of a Ugandan human rights activist killed in Arches National Park in 2020.
On June 13, Esther “Essie” Nakajjigo, 25, visited the national park with her husband, Ludovic “Ludo” Michaud, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their first date, according to The Hill.
The couple was driving out of the park to get ice cream when a strong wind gust swung an “untethered” park gate open and crashed it into their rental car. The metal gate sliced through the side of the vehicle and decapitated Nakajjigo.
Michaud and his in-laws filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Denver against the National Park Service on June 8, 2021. They sought more than $140 million in damages from the U.S. government last year.
Nakajjigo became Uganda’s Ambassador For Women And Girls at 17 years old and started a nonprofit community health center in Munyonyo, according to the AWG’s office.
Judge Bruce Jenkins awarded the plaintiffs in the lawsuit more than $10.55 million on Friday, Jan. 27.
