Melanie injured in mishap

MANILA, Philippines - Former Miss International Melanie Marquez fractured her spine in a road accident near the Utah-Arizona border last Dec. 7.

Marquez was driving a pickup truck with three passengers, including her 12-year-old son Adam, from Las Vegas to her home in Annabella, Utah at around 5:30 p.m. when the vehicle hit a stretch of ice, ABS-CBN News reported.

The vehicle plunged into a ravine 12 feet deep.

Marquez’s daughter Maxine Bumgardner said the Philippines’ first Miss International suffered two fractures in her spine and another in the sternum, GMA 7 News reported.

Bumgardner said two of the passengers also suffered fractures in the ribs, sternum and back. Adam had cuts and bruises. They were taken to a hospital in St. George, Utah about two hours later, according to ABS-CBN.

Marquez managed to climb out of the vehicle and walk to a place where she called for assistance.

“Climbing that hill, it was a miracle,” she said. “I just felt someone carry me so I could walk.”

ABS-CBN reported that Marquez would have to wear a back brace for three months. She said she was healing well and would be discharged from the hospital in a few days. Recovery would be with her family in Salina, Utah.