A Tijuana model who was critically injured when the speeding Lamborghini she was in crashed and caught fire on Sunday has died, the Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday.

Stephanie Rivera Camarena, 26, was crowned Miss Earth Baja California in 2015, a qualifying contest for the international Miss Earth pageant. The contest seeks to promote awareness of environment issues.

Joaquin Meza, director of the event, described Rivera as a charismatic woman who had championed a number of causes over the years, including breast cancer awareness.

Many in the modeling and pageant worlds expressed condolences to Rivera’s friends and family on social media. A post on the Facebook page for Miss Baja California read in Spanish: “A great woman, beautiful on the outside and, above all, on the inside. A queen in every sense of the word.”


Michael Llamas, the founder of a hemp products empire, was behind the wheel when the green sports car crashed about 2 a.m. Sunday.

Harbor police said Llamas, who lived in San Diego, was speeding north on Harbor Drive when he lost control, veered off the road and slammed into a palm tree. The 2016 Lamborghini burst into flames.

Rivera was ejected during the crash and was found near the burning car. She was rushed to a hospital where she eventually succumbed to her injuries.


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lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com