A former Miss Universe contestant has died in a freak accident after an elk jumped through the windscreen of her car.
Model Kseniya Alexandrova had been travelling with her husband Ilya near Rzhev in western Russia, which is around a three-hour drive from the capital city of Moscow, when the large mammal jumped onto the road in front of their car, leaving no time for the couple to react.
According to a report from Russian outlet RIA Novosti, Alexandrova had been in the passenger seat next to her husband at the time of impact, with the animal hitting her in the head.
It's believed the airbags in the couple's Porsche Panamera did not inflate before impact.
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While Ilya was conscious after the accident, the 30-year-old model was unresponsive and transported to a Moscow hospital.
"From the moment it jumped out to the impact, a split second passed. I didn't have time to do anything," Ilya said in a statement to Russian media.
The devastated husband, who'd only wed the Vice-Miss Russia 2017 runner-up in March, added that his wife had suffered a head injury after being struck by the elk's legs.
"The elk flew into the car. The blow hit Ksyusha [Alexandrova] in the head. She was unconscious, her head was broken, everything was covered in blood," he said.
The worst thing is that the frontal bones of the skull were broken. It was clear that there was an open craniocerebral injury."
Alexandrova remained in a deep coma for most of the following month in the hospital, before losing consciousness once again after contracting meningitis.
"One day she suddenly went back into a coma. They diagnosed meningitis, which turned into more severe inflammatory diseases of the brain," he added.
"The tests began to deteriorate, and it got to blood sepsis. They were able to restart the heart once... But the next day, Ksyusha died - they were unable to restart the heart."
Alexandrova passed away from her injuries on 15 August, with her modelling agency, Modus Vivendis, confirming her passing with the following statement: "It is with great sadness that we inform you that our colleague and friend, model Kseniya Alexandrova, passed away yesterday evening.
"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."
According to a report from US Weekly, Alexandrova had competed in Miss Universe in 2017, the same year as Miss Russia.
Outside of her modelling, she had completed a degree in psychology at Moscow State Pedagogical University and had begun work as a therapist.
Topics: Russia, World News, Animals
Brenna Cooper