Nelson Thomas says he’s happy to be alive after he was in a serious car accident earlier this month, and the star of The challenge says he only got away with it thanks to the actions of NFL player KJ Osborn and three others, who pulled Nelson out of his burning car on March 5.
On Tuesday, Nelson took to Instagram to thank KJ and his friends for saving his life. He also posted photos of some of the gnarly injuries he sustained in the crash, which happened in Austin, Texas. (News of KJ and his friends saving a man from the burning car broke last week; however, until Tuesday, it was unknown that the man they saved was Nelson.)
“I was involved in a car accident. I want to thank kJ: @kj_osborn_ @nfl @vikings for being on the scene and filming my rescue. I am eternally grateful to Abdulmejied Hairedin: @_abdu6435, Rita : @Afri_qveen and Arthur : @Arthur_1er. For pulling me out of a burning vehicle, risking their own lives to save mine,” Nelson wrote.
“Words cannot explain how grateful I am to be alive. God is truly great and he has you in his hands no matter who you are. I’m in a good mood and I’m getting stronger. It will be a long road to recovery, but to my fans, friends and family, keep me in your prayers. »
In video taken by a bystander, the car can be seen on the side of the freeway with the front half blazing with flames.
“Catch him, catch him!” one of the lifeguards yelled.
“Can you move your legs?” the same person asked Nelson.
Two people pull Nelly T. from the passenger side of the car. After some effort, they were able to pull “The Challenge” vet away from the burning vehicle.
In his Instagram post, Nelson shared a photo of his bruised and swollen leg with multiple stitches. He shared another photo of his right forearm sporting long sutures that went halfway up his arm and a deep cut inside his ankle.
A week before Nelson announced his accident, KJ – who plays wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings – talked about saving a man’s life. He described being in the back seat of his car when the Uber driver started screaming. The football player looked up to see Nelson’s car crash into a pillar, on fire.
“At that time, I was thinking the worst. I didn’t think that guy was alive,” KJ recalled. The Uber driver wanted to call the police, but KJ’s first thought was, “We have to go save this guy.”
After getting closer to the flames, KJ feared the car might explode. However, Nelson was able to close in on the passenger side and KJ managed to pull him out of the car a few feet away. Police and firefighters arrived soon after and told rescuers they had saved Nelson’s life.
KJ posted photos of Nelson’s wrecked car on Instagram last week, writing in the caption, “Most of the time the saying goes ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ But this time, I believe God has me, us, in the right place at the right time. Last night myself and these 3 absolute heroes helped save a man’s life by rescuing him from a burning vehicle after a serious accident. A situation that I would never have imagined separating myself from in a million years. I leave you with that. God is real. And His LOVE is real. He will send his angels to encamp around you and grant you his grace and mercy.
One of the other men who helped save Nelson’s life posted on Instagram Stories on Tuesday.
“God is good”, wrote the man – named Arthur. “The moment I saw that car catch fire…I saw it like in a movie. I thought [Nelson] had already left. Oh my God, you exist I swear. Your faithful orphan will always be your servant. We pray for your recovery.
Scuba Nelly’s “Challenge” crew have shared their best wishes for their speedy recovery.
“Omg, I’m so sorry! I hope you recover quickly”, his teammate of the “World Championship” Tori Deal writing.
Veteran “The Challenge” Wes Bergman replied, “Jesus Nelson, this is terrible. I’m so sorry and I’m confident that you will go through this healing process.
“Ride or Die” by Nelly nurys mateo shared, “You are always in my prayers and even more now! I pray for a speedy recovery but you are one of the strongest people I know so I know you get it. I love you Rod.
It seems that KJ and Nelson are now forever linked since the heroic rescue.
nfl player @KJ_Osborn helped rescue a man from a burning car along with his Uber driver and two other good Samaritans.
“Being able to act on it with the other three heroes… I couldn’t imagine being part of it in a million years.”
THANKS @CNN / @andersoncooper to share! pic.twitter.com/gmksCaEYoI
—Uber (@Uber) March 9, 2023
“Locked in. Can’t wait to see you again and do what you love!” the football player wrote in the comments section of Nelson’s post.
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(Photos: David Berding/Getty Images; MTV; Instagram)
