Sports

Patriots' Darius Fleming rescues woman from car

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Patriots linebacker Darius Fleming played in Saturday's divisional-round win over the Kansas City Chiefs with 22 stitches in his right leg after a heroic rescue.

A woman was driving down Route 1 in Foxborough when she was involved in a crash, but thankfully Fleming was there to help.

“I ended up rear ending the car in front of me and my airbags were deployed. Then the entire car just shut down,” the woman said.

The 26-year-old Fleming said a large truck made an unexpected right turn while he was driving away from Gillette Stadium.

When he saw the crash and what appeared to be smoke coming from the car his instincts took over.

“I just started kicking it with my right leg, it didn’t break right away, I wasn’t sure if it was going to break, but on the third kick it broke and that was that,” Fleming said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that, I don’t think it was that crazy. I’m just glad I was there to be able to help her."

Fleming said it took three kicks of the window before it broke. After ensuring the passenger was OK, Fleming said he returned to the stadium for a bandage before going to the hospital for X-rays and 22 stitches.

Police said an airbag went off in the vehicle which could have created an appearance that the car was smoking.

“She believed a Patriots player kicked her window right following the crash,” Walpole Police Chief John Carmichael said. “The officer did observe some blood that was on the glass and the window frame.”

While Fleming is rightfully being hailed as a hero, that didn't mean he escaped some friendly joking from his teammates on the matter.