The short version
- El Nuevo Día and El Vocero reported that Melissa Núñez and Magali Febles were injured in a vehicle rollover on Friday in Santo Domingo
- Núñez suffered superficial lacerations on her right forearm and wrist while Febles reported headache and pain on her right side according to both outlets
- Both women were the only ones injured and were transported to a private medical center in the Distrito Nacional El Vocero reported
- Núñez was expected to arrive in Puerto Rico on Saturday or Sunday for the start of Miss Universe 2026 activities El Nuevo Día reported
Accident in Santo Domingo
Miss Universe República Dominicana Melissa Núñez and pageant trainer Magali Febles were involved in a traffic accident on Friday in the El Millón sector of Santo Domingo, El Nuevo Día reported. The vehicle they were traveling in overturned on Avenida Núñez de Cáceres for reasons that have not been determined.
Emergency personnel assisted them at the scene. Febles complained of a headache and discomfort on the right side of her body although she showed no visible signs of trauma. Núñez sustained superficial lacerations on her right forearm and wrist, El Vocero reported. Both were taken to a private hospital in the Distrito Nacional for further evaluation.
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Impact on Miss Universe 2026
The accident occurred hours before the scheduled start of candidate concentration for Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico on Sunday, Nov. 8. Núñez had been expected to arrive at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport between Saturday and Sunday, El Nuevo Día reported.
Núñez, crowned Miss República Dominicana Universo 2026 on July 30, is considered one of the favorites. The final competition is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 24 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, El Vocero reported. No information has been released on whether her injuries will affect her participation.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and El Vocero cite the Dominican newspaper Diario Libre as the original source and agree on the location, the rollover, the injuries to Núñez (lacerations on right forearm and wrist) and Febles (headache and right-side pain), and that both were hospitalized with no other injuries. El Vocero adds that the pageant is the 75th edition and gives Núñez’s hometown of Concepción de La Vega. El Nuevo Día notes that the outlet contacted a representative of the queen and is awaiting further details on her condition.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the current medical condition or discharge status of either woman, whether Núñez will arrive in Puerto Rico on schedule, the cause of the crash, or any official response from the Miss Universe organization or Puerto Rico authorities regarding possible adjustments to the event schedule.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Melissa Núñez y Magali Febles sufren accidente de tránsito antes de llegar al Miss Universe
- Reporting Miss República Dominicana sufre accidente antes de llegar a Puerto Rico para Miss Universe
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and El Vocero both based their coverage on reporting by Diario Libre. El Nuevo Día additionally reported having contacted Núñez’s representative while awaiting more information. Details about the final competition date and venue rest solely on El Vocero.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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