She had a hellish week.
After resigning from the New York Times amidst a fiery scandal and resulting media storm, Page Six hears that top NFL journalist Deanna Russini daringly rescued an elderly man and his dog from an overturned Jeep.
Local news site Patch reported that around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy driving a Honda Civic swerved onto a city road outside Wyckoff, New Jersey, and collided with a Jeep, causing the four-wheel-drive vehicle to roll over.
The Jeep’s 73-year-old driver and his dog were trapped inside the vehicle, the report said.
Russini had left the Times just the day before amid an internal investigation by Page Six, which published a photo in which he appeared to be holding hands with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Witnesses said Russini was driving on the same road as the Jeep and the accident happened right in front of her car.
“She jumped out and had a tall man put her on top of the Jeep and open the door, and she and another man pulled the driver and dog out of the Jeep,” the spy said.
Police arrived shortly thereafter. Police sources told Page Six that they believe bystanders helped address the incident before officers arrived on the scene.
This is a surprising turn of events in an already turbulent week with Vrabel and Russini’s debacles.
On April 7, it was reported that Russini and Vrabel were spotted together at the luxury resort Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona. The resort is more than two hours away from a work event they were scheduled to attend. (They are both married to other people).
They denied being romantically involved, saying they were at a hotel with other friends.
Mr. Russini’s boss, Stephen Ginsburg of The Athletic, a previously independent sports site that was acquired by The Times in 2022 and now functions as its sports department, immediately backed Mr. Russini, saying the photo “lacks important context.”
It also broke the news that Ginsburg launched an investigation as soon as she became aware of the photo and kept top reporters aside until the investigation was complete.
By Tuesday, Mr. Russini had resigned from the paper, saying he was “unwilling to respond to a public inquiry that has already caused more damage than is acceptable.”
She added, “Rather than continue this, I have decided to step down now before my current contract expires on June 30th. I do so not because I accept the narrative built around this episode, but because I refuse to give it any more oxygen or let it define me or my career.”
Russini did not comment on the incident.
