Vikings' Osborn helped pull man from burning car in Texas
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn said he was in the āright place at the exact right timeā to help save a man from a burning car.
Osborn was riding in an Uber on an expressway around 2:30 a.m. Monday in Austin, Texas, when the vehicle came upon a wrecked car. Austin police said Tuesday that the car ran into a pole and caught fire. Police said the driver āhad already been removed from the vehicleā by the time officers arrived.
Police declined to confirm the identities of the rescuers, saying only that the investigation is ongoing. The carās driver was taken to a hospital with injuries described by police as non-life threatening. The cause of the wreck remains under investigation.
Osborn on Monday posted on Twitter a photo of himself and three others who rescued the man āfrom a vehicle up in flames after a bad crash.ā
āMost of the time the saying goes āwrong place wrong time.ā But this time I believe God had me, us, at the right place at the exact right time,ā Osborn wrote.
Osborn was in Austin visiting friends. He said Monday in an interview on an ESPN podcast that his Uber driver saw the crash into the pillars of the freeway overpass and pulled over. Osborn said while he approached the vehicle with caution out of concern for an explosion, the ride-share driver went right up to it and opened the door.
āI didnāt even know if he was alive when we walked up to the car,ā Osborn said on the ESPN podcast. āWithout that, I think that car would have burned on fire, and it would have been really tragic.ā
After the man inside the car moved to the passengerās side, Osborn, the Uber driver and two other bystanders worked to pull him out.
āThatās when I picked him up,ā Osborn said. āHeās bleeding all over my shirt and everything, and I pick him up and I carry him about 10 to 15 yards so this way weāre away from the car.ā
Osborn is working on finishing his masterās degree in criminal justice at Miami this offseason. He said on the ESPN podcast he hopes to work as a private investigator or in the United States Secret Service.
Osborn was a fifth-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2020 out of Miami, where he finished his college career after transferring from Buffalo.
The native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, played sparingly as a rookie before flourishing as the No. 3 wide receiver in Minnesota's offense. Osborn totaled 110 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
___
Associated Press Writer Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL