SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY A 30-year-old Victorville woman remained hospitalized Saturday after giving birth to a baby girl on the side of a freeway.
According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, paramedics responded to an emergency childbirth around 11:27 p.m. Friday located on the 15 Freeway, just south of Cleghorn near the Cajon Pass.
When crews arrived to the scene, they located a female in the backseat of the family vehicle, in active labor on the side of the freeway.
Paramedics explained they faced a few challenges — including high speed freeway traffic, poor lighting, and the umbilical cord wrapped around the infants’ neck — while assisting with the birth.
The baby’s mother told KCAL9’s Brittney Hopper it was also cold and windy.
“Our firefighter paramedics delivered a healthy baby girl in the back of the family’s SUV within seven minutes of their arrival,” said Kristian Cavada of the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
They were transported to Dignity Health Community Hospital of San Bernardino, authorities explained.
Officials added that the mother, father, and baby girl (all 6 pounds and 14 ounces of her) are all doing well.
Mom of the newborn, Carmen Urias said, “You hear about it, but you never think it’s going to happen to you.”
Urias, her husband and the couple’s 3-year-old were on the road on the way to visit relatives in Orange.
She wasn’t supposed to be due for several weekss — April 1 to be exact — but the new kid on the block obviously had different ideas.
When she told her husband that a pre-labor pain was… really labor, he says he started to freak out
He pulled over and called 911.
“I was so nervous,” said the proud husband, “I didn’t know what to do.”
Minutes later, firefighter paramedics were there, including Dustin Krajeski who later got a formal introduction to the baby.
Mom and new baby will get to go home Sunday.