Middletown

Crossing Guard Calls Teenager Her ‘Savior' After He Came to Her Aid

“It means a lot to me. He saved me. He really did save me,” said Cathy Russo, a crossing guard in Middletown.

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Catherine Russo said a high school teenager was her "savior" after he jumped into action and helped her on January 22, 2020.

Russo was working as crossing guard at the corner of Russel Street and Ridge Road in Middletown when she tripped and lost consciousness. Dylan Sassu, 17, stopped to help.

“She was face down on the ground and unconscious. So I pulled over. I knew something was wrong right away,” said Sassu.

Sassu said he immediately called 911 and as Russo regained consciousness, he started asking her questions, offered to call her daughter and stayed until help arrived.

“He’s my hero. It’s hard to even explain to him how he saved me, how he helped me and was there for me,” said Russo.

Russo said she was left with a broken nose and a lot of scratches and bruises. She is thankful to Sassu and several other people who stopped to help that day.

On Tuesday night, the Middletown Board of Education honored Sassu with the Good Samaritan Award. The award states “Your action to help a fellow citizen is an inspiration to all people in this community. Thank you for reminding us all that during times of crisis we must always rise to the occasion and help those that are in need.”

“It just feels weird to take pride in it. I know I did the right thing, but it was just something that had to be done. It was the right thing to do,” Sassu said.

NBC Connecticut helped connect Russo and Sassu over the phone. Russo said she is looking forward to the day she can thank Sassu in person.

Contact Us