Zanib Naveed, a former beauty queen who was crowned Miss Pakistan World in 2012, died on December 1, 2019 at 11:40 PM. Naveed, 32, was driving her 2018 Mercedes CL2 on Sunday afternoon in Prince George’s County when she struck a curb on Route 1’s curve and overturned her car into oncoming traffic, Maryland State Police confirmed. Authorities said the Pomona, New York resident was ejected from her vehicle and declared dead at the scene.No other vehicles or people were involved. Naveed was the only person inside her car when the crash occurred.
State Police also noted that a preliminary investigation determined that alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the fatal crash, but the incident remains under investigation.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the current Miss Pakistan World, Sonia Ahmed, spoke to Naveed’s many accolades and praised her for holding the important roles with such poise.
“As the President of Miss Pakistan World, we gave Naveed an amazing platform to represent Pakistan internationally and hearing about her death is very upsetting to all of us,” Ahmed says. “Being a beauty queen to a country like Pakistan where there have been no beauty pageants on the soil of Pakistan is a tough job!”
“Naveed along with other winners of Miss Pakistan World had a huge responsibility of carrying the title of a Muslim Nation,” she continued. “It is a very upsetting time and terrible news and we can all hope and pray that her family gets through this painful situation.”
On the Go Fund Me page, the former beauty queen was remembered for her “smile that could light up a room, a powerful personality, captivating eyes, a voice that demanded attention and beauty like no other.”
“Zanib was truly a force to be reckoned with, always standing by her beliefs. All who knew Zanib can attest to her strong will, always accomplishing her goals in life,” the page reads. “She paved her own path to success, and had a promising future ahead of herself.”