In a remarkable act of bravery, a seasoned NBC News reporter put his life on the line to rescue a teenage driver trapped in a fiery crash on a Maryland highway, ultimately pulling the young man to safety just before the blazing wreck exploded.
Tom Costello, a senior correspondent for NBC News, was on his way home via the Capital Beltway last Tuesday when a car sped past him, only to crash violently into a concrete barrier.
Recounting the harrowing events on NBC News the next day, Costello described the scene as terrifying, watching in shock as the vehicle flipped over completely and burst into flames, scattering debris across the roadway while a fire blazed beneath the wreck.
Costello promptly dialed 911, alerting them to the dire situation by stating, “somebody in here is in bad shape.”
As he approached the vehicle, Costello braced himself, expecting to find a lifeless body in the driver’s seat, he admitted with a heavy heart.
To his surprise, he discovered a dazed but alive 17-year-old driver, who was still conscious despite the ordeal.
“I thought, ‘nobody could survive this’. And it was a teenager. He was stunned. He wasn’t speaking. He had a gaze in his eyes, he was looking out the front windshield,” Costello recounted.
The teen responded to Costello’s attempts to grab his attention, but could only croak that “everything hurts.”
Meanwhile, the fire was rapidly growing, but Costello didn’t want to risk further injuring the boy by moving him.
Costello started frantically waving down passersby and miraculously flagged an orthopedic surgeon and a nurse.
The surgeon secured the boy by his neck and head while Costello handled his torso and the nurse grasped his legs. They hoisted him out of the smoldering wreckage moments before the car exploded.
Pete Piringer, the chief spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, confirmed that the teen survived the harrowing ordeal.
And within the next 12 hours, Costello was back on the air, as if nothing had ever happened.
“I think the lesson here is watch your kids. I mean, this was a 17-year-old, probably hadn’t been driving long, 100 miles per hour, he should be dead. I can’t believe he’s alive, to be honest with you,” Costello advised.
