By David Salazar (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Dec 25, 2012 09:12 AM EST

Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, Miss Venezuela 2012, has had a rough week after her awkward answer in the final rounds of Miss Universe 2012. Her muddled response in English drew the ridicule of numerous bloggers and fans on Twitter. However, that seems minimal compared to a tragedy she has just endured.

According to Venezuelan website El Carabobeno, Esser Quintero's presumed cousin was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday afternoon. The report indicates that 29-year-old Karent Esser Molina died at 7:30 a.m. while on the road Moron-Coro. She was in the car with four others including driver Jorge Ghosm (22), Carlos Valera (26), and César Luis Vargas Castillo (23). The three men wound up injured, but Esser Molina died from severe brain trauma during the accident.

None of the reports indicate what relationship existed between Esser Quinter and Esser Molina, though Esser Molina was also a model.

Esser Quintero won third prize in the Miss Universe 2012 Beauty pageant. Many had through she would win the contest, but when asked what law she would change during the question rounds, she answered, "I think that any leys (laws) there are in Constitution or in life, are already made. I think that we should have, uh, a straight way to go in our similar, or, eh, in our lives as is this. For example, I'm a surfer, and I think that the best wave that I can take is the wave that I wait for it. So please do our only, eh, law that we can do. Thank you, Vegas!"

The response drew the ire of critics on Twitter and the internet. Esser Quintero eventually clarified her response, but the damage was already done.