Pageant coach Magali Febles and Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2026 Melissa Núñez were injured on Friday when their vehicle overturned in Santo Domingo.
The crash occurred along Avenida Núñez de Cáceres in the El Millón neighbourhood of the capital's National District. Both women sustained minor injuries and received treatment from emergency services at the scene before being taken to a private hospital for a full medical assessment.
According to information provided by a source to Dominican newspaper Diario Libre, the accident happened when the vehicle carrying the two women overturned. Emergency crews arrived shortly afterwards to attend to the occupants, though authorities have not yet established what caused the vehicle to flip over.
Injuries and medical evaluation
Paramedics at the scene assisted Febles after she reported experiencing a headache and pain along the right side of her body. Although the veteran beauty pageant coach showed no visible signs of physical trauma, emergency personnel transferred her to a private healthcare centre in the National District to undergo a more comprehensive examination.
Núñez suffered superficial wounds to her right arm during the rollover, with emergency responders treating cuts on her forearm and wrist. The reigning beauty queen received initial medical care alongside the road before being moved to the same private clinic as Febles for further treatment.
Diario Libre reported that, as far as was known, only Febles and Núñez were injured in the accident. Both women remained under observation at the private medical facility on Friday following the collision.
Preparations for Miss Universe
Núñez won the national title on the night of Thursday, July 30, when she was crowned Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2026. She entered the competition as the representative for Concepción de La Vega, a historic province and agricultural centre located in the Cibao region of the northern Dominican Republic.
Her coronation made her the official Dominican delegate for the upcoming international Miss Universe pageant. The global competition is scheduled to take place on November 24 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, where delegates from around the world will compete for the international title.
The Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, commonly known as the Choliseo, is the premier indoor arena in Puerto Rico and one of the largest entertainment venues in the Caribbean. Opened in 2004, the arena regularly hosts international sporting events, major concerts, and global beauty pageants.
Pageant directorship and Santo Domingo transit
Febles is one of the most prominent beauty pageant directors in the Caribbean, having spent decades working as a cosmetologist, stylist, and franchise director. Over her career, she has directed national pageants and prepared delegates for global competitions, including Dominican winner Amelia Vega in 2003 and Puerto Rico's Zuleyka Rivera in 2006.
Avenida Núñez de Cáceres, where the vehicle overturned, is a major commercial and residential corridor in Santo Domingo's National District. The broad avenue runs north to south through neighbourhoods such as El Millón, linking several key transit routes across the Dominican capital and carrying heavy daily vehicular traffic.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under review, and authorities have not released additional details regarding what led the vehicle to overturn. Núñez is scheduled to represent the Dominican Republic at the Miss Universe competition in San Juan on November 24.
