High School Football players Heroically Rush to Trapped Woman’s Aid after Serious Crash on New Jersey Highway

Last month, the Ramsey High School football team was heading to celebrate their 7-on-7 championship victory when several players stumbled upon a chaotic scene on the Garden State Parkway.

A car with a woman trapped inside and a guardrail piercing through the vehicle’s center

A car was caught in the guardrail along the roadside when three players from the same vehicle arrived. They exchanged glances and instantly knew they had to act.

Team members selflessly rush in to help

After pulling over and crossing traffic, rising seniors Mason Gonzalez and Trevor Broking, along with junior Luke Filippone—who was in a different vehicle—and sophomore Liam Mueller hurried to the wrecked car, where the guardrail had pierced through its center.

Joined by two other Good Samaritans already at the scene, the players smashed the windows, pried open the doors, and removed the airbags. Gonzalez checked on the driver, the only occupant, to evaluate her condition. Filippone sustained cuts on his hand while breaking one of the windows.

“We were seeing all the traffic slowing down, and it looked like a pile-up but then we saw it was just one car on the side of the road with a guardrail through the middle,” Gonzalez told nj.com. “Trevor and Liam and I just all just turned to each other and we were all like 'we should we pull over, we’ve got to help.' Then Luke pulled in behind me and we all ran across the highway.

Details of the accident emerge

“The car was smoking, but not on fire. Seeing the guardrail through the car, it was a surreal moment. If it was just a little bit to the right it would have been something that would change all our lives. After we broke the windows and opened the doors and removed the airbags, I was able to crouch down and ask the woman if she was OK, and she slowly nodded. But her eyes were so wide, I think she was in shock. I announced to everybody that she was OK but in shock and we shouldn’t move her in case she had spinal injuries.”

Within minutes, EMS and state troopers arrived to take control of the scene. Gonzalez later learned the woman had been driving southbound, crossed the median and all three northbound lanes, and then hit the guardrail.

According to NBC New York, New Jersey state police expect the woman to recover from her injuries.

Gonzalez, who aspires to a career in law enforcement, didn’t initially connect the incident to his future profession but later realized it was the kind of situation he might face.

“I’m proud of them for what they accomplished on the field, but I’m even more proud of the kind of young men they’re becoming. This is what we hope sports teaches - leadership, character, and stepping up when it matters most. And they did that.” -
Ramsey High School Head Coach Adam Baeira

Instincts Took Over

Taking charge and directing his teammates and others felt instinctive.

“It was just my natural instincts, someone was in danger you would want someone to help them,” said Gonzalez. “I think that’s just how my demeanor is. I’m a captain on the football team. I’m a middle linebacker. That kind of person needs to have character and show leadership.”

One Proud Coach

Ramsey coach Adam Baeira didn’t learn of the incident until the next morning when Filippone arrived at a team lift with his hand bandaged.

“I asked him if he got in a fight with Mike Tyson or something, just joking around, and he was kind of being shy about it and told me there was an accident,” said Baeira in that same nj.com article. “Then the seniors came over and told me the story.

“I’m just super proud. The whole fact is it doesn’t happen a lot. More people are worried about passing by and taking videos when someone should do something about it, and these kids did. You hope sports teaches you to do things like that. They stepped up, showed bravery and courage. They’re great kids.”

Gonzalez said he and his teammates eventually reached the restaurant to celebrate their championship, bringing with them a remarkable story.

“We walked in, Filippone was all bandaged and we were chanting free meal, Luke just saved a lady’s life,” said Gonzalez. “I think this will be something you always remember. You’re always going to remember high school football with the boys, but this just made our connection tighter and it showed us when circumstances get tough, we can keep our cool and do it again.”

Ramsey Football also a Winner on the Gridiron

Ramsey has also excelled on the field, with a 32-14 record this decade. The Rams went 7-3 last season, securing a first-round playoff win, and are expected to rank in the North Jersey Public Top 20 when the list is released later this summer.

“I’m proud of them for what they accomplished on the field, but I’m even more proud of the kind of young men they’re becoming,” Baeira told northjersey.com. “This is what we hope sports teaches - leadership, character, and stepping up when it matters most. And they did that.”