MOSCOW, Aug 17: A model and former Miss Universe contestant, Kseniya Alexandrova, has died at the age of 30, weeks after a tragic accident in which an elk smashed through her car’s windshield.

The incident occurred in July while Alexandrova was traveling in Tver Oblast, Russia. She sustained severe brain injuries and later died in a Moscow hospital on August 12, according to Russian news outlet Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Alexandrova was in the passenger seat of her husband’s Porsche Panamera on July 5 when the elk suddenly ran onto the road. Her husband told the news outlet, “From the moment it jumped out to the impact, a split second passed. I didn’t have time to do anything.” He added that Alexandrova was unconscious immediately after the impact, saying, “Everything was covered in blood.”

Other drivers stopped to assist, and emergency services arrived within approximately 15 minutes. Despite being transported to a hospital in Moscow, her injuries proved fatal. Alexandrova had married her husband just four months before the accident, as confirmed by her Instagram.

In addition to her modeling career, Alexandrova represented Russia in the 2017 Miss Universe pageant and was the first runner-up in the Miss Russia competition earlier that same year, according to Us Weekly. She was also a trained psychologist, having earned a degree from Moscow Pedagogical State University, as noted in a personal Instagram update in November 2022.

Alexandrova’s modeling agency, Modus Vivendis, confirmed her passing in an Instagram statement on August 13. “It is with great sadness that we inform you that our colleague and friend, model Kseniya Alexandrova, passed away yesterday evening,” the statement read, translated from Russian.

“Kseniya was bright and talented. She knew how to inspire, support, and give warmth to everyone who was around. For us, she will forever remain a symbol of beauty, kindness, and inner strength,” the agency continued. “We sincerely mourn and express our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and everyone who had the good fortune to know Kseniya.”