Dianna Russini, an NFL reporter who resigned from the Athletic amid an internal investigation, rescued an elderly man and his dog from an overturned vehicle in Wyckoff, New Jersey, on Wednesday. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after she quit her job.
According to local reports, a 17-year-old driver of a Honda Civic collided with a Jeep driven by a 73-year-old man. The Jeep flipped onto its side, trapping the driver and his dog inside. Russini, who was driving behind the Jeep, stopped and climbed atop the vehicle to open the door, then worked with another bystander to pull the occupants to safety.
The Jeep driver was taken to a hospital with head and shoulder pain, while the dog appeared unharmed and was handed over to a friend. The Honda driver was uninjured, and no traffic citations were issued as the crash remained under investigation.
Russini's resignation on Tuesday followed the publication of photographs showing her with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort. The Athletic was investigating whether her relationship with Vrabel violated the New York Times ethics policy. Russini and Vrabel have stated their interactions were platonic. The NFL declined to review Vrabel under its personal conduct policy.
In her resignation letter, Russini maintained her professionalism and said she was subjected to "self-feeding speculation" that was "unmoored from the facts." She joined the Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN.
