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Barbers save young girl from wandering into busy intersection

WFSBRafaelSantana.JPG
Posted at 6:49 PM, Apr 14, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-14 18:49:19-04

EAST HARTFORD, Connecticut (WFSB) — Two East Hartford barbers helped save a young girl from wandering into the middle of a busy intersection.

The barbers say the child was just seconds away from walking into traffic at the intersection of Main Street and Brown Street earlier today.

“It was a quick reaction thing. We weren’t going to ask no questions, we weren’t going to see what was going on, we were just going to move and that was it,” Rafael said.

Rafael Santana’s barber station sits right next to the window at Look Sharp Barbershop, and he thanks god for seeing what he saw this morning.

Around 11:00 a.m., Rafael looked outside and noticed a young girl walking in the middle of the road, and with a second look, he noticed no one else was with her.

“I looked back and I didn’t see anybody. I didn’t see anyone behind her,” Rafael said.

That is when Rafael told his boss, Osvaldo Lugo, what he saw. In the amount of time it takes a pair of scissors to cut a strand of hair, Osvaldo was out the door.

“He didn’t ask no questions. He put his clipper down and just ran,” said Rafael.

“There’s no time to look, there’s no time to talk about it, this your time to do something about somebody else,” Osvaldo said.

He was glad he got to her when he did.

“Being able to get to her on time was a gratifying moment,” said Osvaldo. “She didn’t know exactly what type of danger she was facing.”

Osvaldo also helped the girl find her mother who was at a bus stop down the road, where he says it was an emotional reunion.

“The mom was shocked, embarrassed, and at the same time grateful,” Osvaldo said.

Both men said they were grateful they saw and acted as quickly as they did, and know this story could have had a much different ending.

“It would’ve been sirens, police, ambulance, so thankfully we’re not talking about that situation right now,” Osvaldo said.

“We’re not talking about a tragedy we’re talking about something good,” Rafael said.