Hero teen rescues family of 4 from a burning car in Connecticut

A brave teen in Connecticut is being credited as a hero for saving the lives of a mother and her three young children by pulling them from a burning car, reports NBC Connecticut.

Teen rescues family in Connecticut

Waterbury police say 18-year-old Justin Gavin saw the car on fire as he was walking home Wednesday.

Authorities say the mother was in the driver’s seat while the three kids were in the backseat.

Gavin ran over and opened the door, helping the mother unfasten her seatbelt and get out.

He then helped her children ages 1,4, and 9 out of the vehicle.

Heroic efforts recognized

To recognize the heroic effort, Waterbury Police honored Gavin giving him something normally reserved for officers themselves, the chief’s commemorative coin.

Meanwhile the mother Latrisha Chambers has a message for Gavin, the person she refers to as her angel.

“There’s nothing I could do to show you or ever repay what you did for me and my children, ever,” she said.

The event may have had an altering effect on Gavin’s life too. Before this he had dropped out of school.

Now he is not only considering returning but is thinking about a career as a first responder.

“I probably most likely will join the police force or become a firefighter,” he said. “Because after yesterday I feel like there’s more people that can be helped.”