Parenthood
Officers Help Deliver A Baby On The Side Of The Road
A woman was driving to the hospital, but she suddenly had to pull over when her water broke. She didn't know what to do, but fortunately, officers were in the right place at the right time
Ryan Aliapoulios
07.19.17

Do you know the story of how you were born?

For a lucky few, the birthing process is a simple procedure: the baby comes on time, the family gets to the hospital and everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately, most families face some kind of additional difficulty. It could mean a medical issue, the baby doesn’t come when expected or there are transportation issues.

For one woman in Kalamazoo, Michigan, delivery day was not off to a great start.

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flickr.com/michigancommunities
Source:
flickr.com/michigancommunities

Though she had been on her way to nearby Bronson Hospital, the woman had to pull over when her water broke in the car.

Once this happens, as many know, it means the baby is coming—and fast. Because she was unsure what to do, she called the police to see if they could assist her in any way. One thing was clear: she needed help immediately.

It was 12:25am on July 15, 2017 when local Sgt. Kristie Hofer and another officer arrived at the scene.

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flickr.com/teemidpic
Source:
flickr.com/teemidpic

When Hofer and her partner arrived, the baby had already begun to crown.

It became clear that there would be no time to make it to the hospital before the baby arrived. Though they called paramedics, it seemed they wouldn’t arrive on time. Faced with the difficult situation, Hofer made a quick decision:

The officers would help deliver the baby themselves.

baby
kalamazoopublicsafety.org
Source:
kalamazoopublicsafety.org

Fortunately, everything went well.

Sgt. Hofer and the officer successfully delivered the baby—all on the side of the road! Just moments after everything had been done, the team of paramedics arrived to take the woman and her newborn son to the hospital.

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Thanks to a quick response from Hofer and her partner, everything went smoothly that day.

The identity of the woman remains anonymous for the privacy of her family, though the police department sent along their best wishes in a press release all the same:

“[We] extend our best wishes to the family on the birth of a healthy boy.”

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flickr.com/brianloyalroberts
Source:
flickr.com/brianloyalroberts

Stories like these remind us just how helpful emergency response teams can be.

Who knows what would’ve happened had Sgt. Hofer and her partner not been standing by, ready to respond. Fortunately, all went well today and the Baker family (as various news outlets have named them) are at home safely with their new baby boy.

Congratulations and best wishes to the newborn and a special salute to Sgt. Hofer!

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