As we learn more about the stories of those impacted by the deadly New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, one Alabama woman is sharing her story of how her friends’ quick thinking after the attack likely saved her life.

In the early morning hours of January 1, Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating the start of 2025 on New Orleans’ world-famous Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more.

Mobile, Al. native Alexis Scott-Windham was celebrating with her friends in the area when the 23-year-old says she noticed the truck speeding towards them.

“As we look to our left, we see the truck come down the sidewalk because he was halfway on the sidewalk and halfway on the street. As he’s coming down, he has no lights on,” she told CNN in an interview. “He was hitting people like speed bumps like we were nothing.”

Jabbar’s truck clipped the back of Alexis’ leg. But when she tried to get up from the ground, she realized something else was wrong.

“That’s when I tried to run, but I couldn’t,” she told NBC News. “I knew something was wrong with my foot. I thought it was just a broken bone or something, but it wasn’t. My feet had started leaking.”

When Scott-Windham’s friends realized she’d been shot, they immediately called her mother, who told them to make a tourniquet in order to apply pressure to the area and stop the flow of blood.

“So I just told my daughter’s friend to just tie her other sock around her leg so she wouldn’t bleed so heavy,” Alexis’ mom Tryphena Scott-Windham told NBC News.

Alexis’ friends sprung into action, getting her blood loss under control before a good Samaritan drove her to the hospital.

You might think Tryphena Scott-Windham’s advice comes from years of medical training, but she says she got the idea from watching television.

“I just blurted that out. I was in straight panic mode,” she told NBC News.

A new Miss America is in town.

On Sunday, Dec. 5, Abbie Stockard, representing Alabama, was crowned Miss America after earning Miss Alabama in 2024.

According to CNN, the 22-year-old nursing student is an undergraduate and cheerleader at Auburn University in Alabama. She won at the annual event in Orlando, Florida, triumphing over 51 other US state representatives.

In a video shared on Miss America’s Instagram page, Stockard appeared flabbergasted as she was crowned the victor. Sporting a sparkly silver and white gown, she looked shocked as runner-up Annette Addo-Yobo, who represented Texas, hugged her.

The competition shared the aftermath of her victory with a series of Instagram Stories posts, one of which shows an overjoyed Stockard saying, “This is insane. I don’t know what I did to deserve this. Holy Moly. I’m so excited, I’m so grateful.”

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In another video, Stockard — who also scoops a $50,000 tuition scholarship as part of her victory — became emotional as she held onto her bouquet of flowers while wearing her crown. Per CNN, the runner-up states included Tennessee, Florida and Ohio. 

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Rounds in the competition included choreographed dances and live segments. The pageant also included a fitness section, with contenders sporting red and gold activewear. This was followed by talent, eveningwear and interview segments.

CNN reported that the talent round showcased slam poetry by Miss Texas, a jazz dance routine by Miss Wisconsin and a contemporary dance by Stockard.

Stockard also spoke about the decreasing labor force among 25 to 54-year-olds following the COVID-19 pandemic during the competition. “I believe we need to encourage those (people) to join the workforce, adapt to new skills and learn to grow in our current workforce and industries we have today,” she said.

Stockard will take over from 2024 winner, Madison Marsh, to begin her 12-month reign as a Miss America advocate and will have the opportunity to travel the world in her new position.

Ahead of the final, Stockard reflected on her journey to the competition via Instagram. “Tonight, a new Miss America will be crowned. As I step into this evening, I am filled with excitement, honor, and gratitude,” she said.

Abbie Stockard, Miss Alabama 2024, was crowned Miss America 2025 on Sunday night at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida.

Stockard, 22, will receive a $50,000 in scholarship money as Miss America and immediately start a yearlong reign. Stockard, from Birmingham, is a student at Auburn University, where she majors in nursing. Her goal is to earn an advanced degree, a doctorate of nurse anesthesia practice, and specialize in pediatrics.

READ: Miss Alabama thanks her home state before Miss America finals: ‘Your support means the world’

Stockard is the fourth Miss Alabama to win Miss America, following in the footsteps of previous winners Diedre Downs, Miss America 2005; Heather Whitestone, Miss America 1995; and Yolande Betbeze, Miss America 1951.

Miss America 2024, Madison Marsh, crowned her successor at Sunday’s finals competition, which streamed on the Miss America YouTube channel and PageantVision.com.

Stockard received a glittering crown and a bouquet of roses at the end of the ceremony. She also received hugs from her fellow contestants and took her first walk on stage as Miss America 2025.

Stockard was prominently featured throughout the finals on Sunday, competing in evening gown, talent, fitness and “Hot Topics” segments. (The “Hot Topics” questions focused on technology, immigration, health care, climate change, censorship and more.) For talent, Stockard performed a contemporary dance to Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.”

Also, Miss Alabama was one of six women who earned the AHA Go Red for Women Leadership Award at Miss America, in affiliation with the American Heart Association. These awards go to contestants who promote women’s heart health in their communities.

“As I step into this evening, I am filled with excitement, honor, and gratitude,” Stockard said in an Instagram post before the finals. “Thanking the Lord for placing me here this week and giving me one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Regardless of the outcome, I want to express my deepest thanks to my friends, family, the amazing Miss Alabama board, and the wonderful people of Alabama for making me feel so appreciated and loved. I hope I’ve made you proud and represented you well.”

A total of 52 women competed in the Miss America finals, from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Aside from Stockard, the top five finalists were:

• Miss Texas 2024, Annette Addo-Yobo (first runner-up)
• Miss Tennessee 2024, Carley Vogel (second runner-up)
• Miss Florida 2024, Casana Fink (third runner-up)
• Miss Ohio 2024, Stephanie Finoti (fourth runner-up)

The runners-up each received $10,000 in scholarship money, according to the Miss America organization.

The top 11 were:

• Miss Alabama 2024, Abbie Stockard
• Miss Florida 2024, Casana Fink
• Miss Texas 2024, Annette Addo-Yobo
• Miss Wisconsin 2024, Mandi Genord
• Miss South Carolina 2024, Davis Wash
• Miss Colorado 2024, Alexandra Lotko
• Miss Oklahoma 2024, Lauren Frost
• Miss Georgia 2024, Ludwidg Louizaire
• Miss Minnesota 2024, Emily Schumacher
• Miss Tennessee 2024, Carley Vogel
• Miss Ohio 2024, Stephanie Finoti

Terrence Jenkins, an actor and TV personality known as “Terrence J,” was the host of Sunday’s finals ceremony, along with model and actress Nikki Novak.

Judges for the Miss America finals included Heather Whitestone McCallum, the Dothan native who was named Miss America 1995. She moved on to the national pageant in September 1994, after winning the title of Miss Alabama earlier that year. Whitestone McCallum lost her hearing in early childhood due to a severe ear infection, and was the first deaf woman to win Miss America. She became a strong advocate for people with disabilities, regained her hearing in 2002 through a cochlear implant and lives in Georgia with her husband and four sons.

Other judges for the Miss America finals were Olympic medalist Carl Lewis, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Stayce D. Harris, Miss America 1985 Sharlene Wells Hawkes and “Cheer” star Gabi Butler.

The past week has been a busy one for the Miss America organization. Miss America’s Teen, a sister pageant to Miss America, announced its 2025 winner on Saturday, also at the Walt Disney Theater. Peyton Bolling took the national crown, competing as Miss Arkansas’ Teen. Ali Mims, Miss Alabama’s Teen, was named first runner-up.

READ: Miss Arkansas wins Miss America’s Teen 2025; Miss Alabama is first runner-up