DRIVE HALTED: Jets coach Rex Ryan yesterday, in the wake of the bizarre crash of a red Ford Mustang in Pennsylvania. (
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Looks like Rex Ryan has been taking driving lessons from Mark Sanchez.
The embattled Jets coach pulled the automotive version of his quarterback’s infamous “buttfumble,” when he got behind the wheel of a red Mustang and drove into a three-car wreck in Bethlehem, Pa., police said yesterday.
The accident — a fitting coda to the team’s 6-10 plane crash of a season — happened at about 6:13 p.m. on Jan. 14, police told The Post.
It began as the bombastic Jets coach was driving west on West Third Street near Wyandotte Street and became stuck at a traffic light.
Faced with two cars blocking his way, Ryan allegedly engaged in a little offensive drive, and tried to go around the vehicles, a source told The Post.
As he got into the intersection, the light turned yellow — and before he could get through, it turned red.
That’s when a car traveling on Wyandotte Street rolled into the intersection like a New England Patriot linebacker waltzing through the Jets’ front line and blindsided him.
“The impact caused his vehicle to strike a third vehicle, which was turning from Wyandotte Street/Route 378 onto West Third Street,” cops said.
No one was injured and no charges have been filed. But the accident is now under the police version of a booth review.
“One witness told police he observed the driver of the Mustang pass through the red light,” the Bethlehem cops said in a press release.
“As of this [Tuesday] afternoon, Bethlehem police are awaiting a return call from another witness before completing the investigation,” said the department, which declined to name the other drivers in the wreck.
Ryan could not be reached for comment. He was in Mobile, Ala., yesterday, attending the Senior Bowl, which includes college players that are top NFL prospects.
It’s not clear why Ryan was in Bethlehem, but the site of his crash was about 45 minutes from the team’s New Jersey practice facility.
The crash is just one more ugly incident after a season that seemed to be full of them.
In addition to the controversy over the use — or misuse — of backup quarterback Tim Tebow, the team watched starting quarterback Sanchez turn into a wreck.
The Jets’ trouble reached its climax during a 49-19 loss on Thanksgiving Day to the Patriots that was highlighted by Sanchez’s now-legendary “buttfumble,” in which he ran into the rear end of guard Brandon Moore and dropped the ball, allowing New England to run it back for a touchdown.
Ironically, Sanchez told ESPN that the bungled play was “just like a car accident.”