Teen Hero Saves Family: 'If I lost my life, I was going to do it saving somebody'

Waterbury's Justin Gavin, 18, said that he raced toward a burning car to rescue its occupants because none of many onlookers honking and yelling from their vehicles were "doing anything to help out."

The aftermath of the burning car wreck that 18-year-old Justin Gavin braved to save a woman he had never met and her three children.
Photo Credit: *Waterbury Police Department*

Justin Gavin, 18, on an episode of the Drew Barrymore Show that aired on Thursday, Oct. 15
Photo Credit: *The Drew Barrymore Show on Youtube*

Justin Gavin was surprised on the Drew Barrymore show with a personal message from his favorite basketball player, Carmello Anthony of the Portand Trail Blazers.
Photo Credit: *The Drew Barrymore Show on Youtube*

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo shaking hands with Justin Gavin, 18.
Photo Credit: *Waterbury Police Department*

Christina Coulter

10/26/2020 10:30 a.m.

"I wouldn't call myself a hero, I just did what was right," he said when he detailed the events of the Sept. 9 rescue during his appearance on the "Drew Gooder" portion of The Drew Barrymore Show. "A lot of people called me an angel about it, but I just did the right thing."

Gavin said he was walking down West Main Street in Waterbury, in the process of running an errand, when he saw the burning vehicle roll to a stop on Sperry Street.

According to the Waterbury Police Department, Gavin first opened the driver's side door of the vehicle to allow the mother to escape.

“I felt helpless. All I could do is pray. I was screaming for help," told the mother, Latrisha Chambers, to NBC Connecticut after surviving the near-tragedy.

Gavin said to Barrymore that he told the eldest of the three children in the vehicle, who was nine years old, to unbuckle the car seats of her four and one-year-old siblings; according to the department, Gavin then pulled the youngest child from the car to safety.

"It was scary for me, I didn't know what was going to happen," he said of the incident. "I thought that I was going to lose my life and they were going to lose they life. But if I lost my life, I was going to do it saving somebody else."

Barrymore presented Gavin with a framed proclamation from Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary thanking him for his heroic feat; season passes and merchandise for his favorite basketball team, the Brooklyn Nets; and Air Jordan merchandise.

"There's no way to monetize or match your act of saving an entire family, but we just wanted to start in some way," said Barrymore. "I believe there are humans masquerading as angels... You are what we need to believe in--we need to believe in angels in human form."

Gavin's favorite basketball player, Carmello Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers, also filmed a surprise, personalized message that was aired on the show.

"I heard about your story, I wanted to let you know how inspiring and courageous you are. You're a true hero," said Anthony. "I'm inspired to have someone like you supporting me throughout my career."

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