NFL reporter rescues man from car hours after resigning amid investigation | New Jersey
A day after NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from the Athletic amid an internal investigation into photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, she saved an elderly man and a dog from an overturned car in New Jersey.
Russini’s actions following Wednesday’s car crash in Wyckoff, New Jersey, were confirmed by a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Page Six The wreck and Russini’s intervention were first reported on Friday, 10 days after the renowned news outlet exclusively published photos of Russini and Vrabel.
According to the situation of the town Patch news siteA 17-year-old young man behind the wheel of a Honda Civic collided with a Jeep driven by a 73-year-old driver on Wyckoff Street at around 17:00 on Wednesday. The Jeep rolled over onto its side, trapping the driver and the dog inside.
Russini was driving behind the jeep; Photos from the scene show that both cars sustained a visible amount of damage.
He stopped, got help climbing onto the side of the Jeep, and opened his door. Russini then worked with another bystander to pull the driver and dog out of the wrecked Jeep, Page Six reported, quoting an unidentified witness and confirming the Guardian’s source was accurate.
The driver of the Jeep was reportedly taken to a local hospital due to head and shoulder pain. The Wyckoff Patch site reported that the dog was in good health and was later handed over to a friend of the Jeep driver.
Police told the Patch outlet that the driver of the Honda was not injured.
Police also reportedly said no traffic tickets were immediately issued and the crash remains under investigation.
The Guardian has reached out to Russini for comment.
Wednesday’s events served as the capstone to a dramatic 26-hour period that began with Russini’s resignation from the Athletic, the sports organization owned by the New York Times.
Russini resigned Tuesday after The Athletic published photos of him and Vrabel at an Arizona resort, prompting a standards review of Russini’s work.
Page Six said the photos were taken before the NFL owners’ meetings, which begin March 29 in Phoenix. Russini and Vrabel, who are married to others, maintained that the photographed interactions were platonic and taken out of context. The Athletic said Russini resigned amid an investigation into his reporting on Vrabel and questions about the nature of their relationship.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote in his resignation letter. However, he also wrote that he had been subjected to “self-fulfilling speculation disconnected from facts” and that he had “no interest in resorting to a public inquiry that causes far more damage than I am willing to admit.”
“I [resign] “Not because I accepted the narrative built around this episode, but because I refused to give it any more oxygen or let it define me or my career,” Russini wrote.
Russini had been with the Athletic since 2023, hosting a podcast for the launch and appearing on the video platform.
He was previously at ESPN for nearly a decade, holding a variety of roles including SportsCenter announcer, NFL analyst and insider.
