Tom Costello pulls teen from burning car after Maryland crash

Tom Costello’s rescue turned a roadside fire into a split-second test of civilian response, with the NBC News correspondent pulling a teenager from a burning car after witnessing a crash in Maryland. NBC News published the 2-minute, 48-second segment on May 12, 2026, and Costello described the scene with the stark line, "I thought nobody could survive this."

Howard County Police said the collision at the center of the investigation happened at about 1:52 a.m. in Columbia, near Broken Land Parkway and Route 32. Officers said an unmarked Howard County police vehicle tried to stop a 2010 Honda Accord, the car fled, and it overturned on the eastbound ramp to Broken Land Parkway. Police said the driver and sole occupant was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division assumed the case.

The episode also fits a harder public-safety reality that fire officials have long stressed: a car fire after a crash can turn deadly in seconds, trapping occupants and putting anyone nearby in danger. The U.S. Fire Administration says occupants should get out immediately, move at least 100 feet from the burning vehicle, stay clear of traffic, never return to the car, and never try to fight the fire themselves. It also warns not to open a hood or trunk if flames may be underneath, because that can feed the fire.

The National Fire Protection Association says car fires can follow a bad crash and that people who see smoke, flames or the smell of burning rubber or plastic should respond immediately. Its guidance also says that if there is no sign of fire after a crash, bystanders should wait for emergency crews to help injured people out of the vehicle. Taken together, the guidance draws a sharp line between rescue and risk: get people clear when it is safe, do not become a second victim, and hand the scene to trained responders as fast as possible.