Russini recently resigned from her job at The Athletic amid a photo scandal involving the New England Patriots coach
Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty; Boyd A. Loving
NEED TO KNOW
- Dianna Russini rescued a man and his dog in a car crash in New Jersey on Wednesday, April 15
- The incident took place a day after Russini resigned from her job at The Athletic amid a photo scandal involving New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
- Both Russini and Vrabel, who are separately married, have denied any wrongdoing after The New York Post published photos of the pair hugging and holding hands at an Arizona resort
Dianna Russini rescued a man and his dog in a car crash a day after she resigned from her job at The Athletic amid a photo scandal involving New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
The incident took place in Wyckoff, N.J., at around 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday, April 15, when a 17-year-old driving a Honda Civic collided with a Jeep, causing the vehicle to flip on its side, Page Six and the Patch reported, citing the Wyckoff Police Department (WPD).
According to eyewitnesses, Russini, who was driving on the same road at the time, stopped to help the 73-year-old male driver of the Jeep and his dog, both of whom were trapped in the vehicle following the collision, per the outlets.
“She ran out and had a tall man put her on top of the Jeep to open the door, and she and the other guy pulled the driver and his dog out of the Jeep,” one person on the scene told Page Six.
Credit: Boyd A. Loving
Russini, 43, was joined by other bystanders who also provided help until police arrived, according to the outlet.
The elderly man was sent to a local hospital after complaining of head and shoulder pain, per the Patch. It is unclear what the condition of the teen driver is currently.
Footage of the incident obtained by TMZ shows the Jeep on its side as members of the fire department responded to the scene.
Both Russini and the WPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, April 18.
Credit: Jeff Schear/Getty; Thearon W. Henderson/Getty
Russini's involvement in the car accident saga took place shortly after she resigned from her job at The Athletic after The New York Post published photos of her hugging and holding hands with Vrabel, 50, at a resort in Arizona on April 7.
Both Russini and Vrabel, who are separately married, have denied any wrongdoing.
Russini announced she was leaving the outlet in a letter sent to The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg, which was later obtained by the Associated Press.
“Commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini wrote, per the publication. “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career," she concluded.
The Athletic also confirmed Russini’s resignation to PEOPLE.
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Speaking about the images at the center of the controversy, Vrabel told the Post on April 7, "These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response."
Russini added to the outlet, "The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."
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