Barbers save young girl from wandering into busy intersection

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) - Two barbers helped save a young girl from wandering into the middle of an intersection.

The barbers said the child was just seconds from walking into traffic at an intersection in East Hartford, Connecticut.

“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 Santana said.

Santana’s barber station sits right next to the window at Look Sharp Barbershop, and he thanks God for seeing what he saw on April 12.

Santana said around 11:00 a.m. that morning, he looked outside and noticed a young girl walking in the middle of the road.

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

Santana said his boss, Osvaldo Lugo, was out the door with him as soon as Santana told him what was happening.

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

Osvaldo said there was no time to look to see what was going on.

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

Osvaldo said he was glad they got to the girl when they did.

“Being able to get to her on time was a gratifying moment,” he said. “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. He said it was an emotional reunion.

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

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