Esther Nakajjigo death photos, beheaded by gate at Utah’s Arches National Park
Esther Nakajjigo, a women's rights activist, was beheaded by a gate in Utah's Arches National Park.
The family of a women's rights activist who died in a grisly accident in a national park is suing a US government agency for her untimely demise.
The family of a woman's rights activist who was decapitated in an accident while on a trip with her new husband has filed a lawsuit against the US government agency that manages the park where she died.
Esther Nakajjigo, 25, a Ugandan newlywed, was visiting Arches National Park in Utah in June 2020 when she was fatally struck by a metal pole attached to a traffic control gate.
Ms Nakajjigo and her husband, Ludo Michaud, 26, were exiting the scenic park's carpark when the unlatched gate caught in the wind and the metal pole on top sliced through the side of their rental car, killing Ms Nakajjigo instantly.
Mr Michaud and the family of Ms Nakajjigo have filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service in a US court, Fox 13 reports.
The amount sought has not been disclosed, but a previous claim filed by the family against the National Park Service – the precursor to filing a lawsuit – sought more than $A351 million.
According to Fox 13, the family claims that similar gates should be secured under federal park rules, but the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo had been left unlocked for weeks.
Deborah Chang, the family's lawyer, stated that the gate collided with the car so abruptly – and was so well integrated into the surrounding landscape – that the honeymooning couple had no chance of avoiding it.
Ms Chang described the section of the gate that struck Ms Nakajjigo as a "metal spear or lance" that slammed into the car in a "literally split second."
“You would be incapable of detecting or seeing it,” she explained to Fox 13.
“It would be analogous to me presenting you with a piece of paper on its most slender side. You would be incapable of detecting or seeing it.”
Ms Nakajjigo's husband described her demise as the "worst thing I hope to ever see."
The French national stated that he and his wife, who had been married for three months and resided in Denver, Colorado, had gone on a hike and stopped for lunch before driving out of the park.
“I was desperate to show her Arches,” he explained to Fox 13. “I am familiar with all of the parks in the Moab area... It's one of my favorite places in the United States, if not my absolute favorite.”
Ms Nakajjigo advocated for improved education and rights for women and teenage girls in her native Uganda, as well as for a reduction in teenage pregnancy rates.
She was appointed Uganda's ambassador for women and girls and received a United Nations award after using her university tuition money to found a non-profit community center that provided free healthcare to girls and women aged 10 to 24.
Ms Nakajjigo met Mr Michaud after relocating to the United States of America, where she was awarded the Luff Peace Fellowship by the University of Colorado in Boulder.
The National Park Service has declined to comment on the new lawsuit, but previously issued a statement expressing condolences for the young woman's death.