Baby boy born on hard shoulder of M42

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/baby-boy-born-on-hard-shoulder-of-m42-a7009286.html

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A baby boy has been born on a hard shoulder of a busy motorway after his expectant mother suddenly went into labour while stuck in traffic.

The infant’s father called emergency services just before 5:30pm on Saturday, saying his wife was about to give birth while they were stuck in queues on the M42 east of Birmingham.

Police rushed to the scene but failed to reach the car in time, arriving to find the mother already holding her new son, Tommy, in the back of the couple's Vauxhall Zafira.

The mother gave birth only 20 minutes after going into labour and ambulance crews struggled to get to the scene due to heavy traffic caused by a fuel spill.

Police said the couple, whose two other sons aged two and four were also in the car at the time, has been shocked by the birth as Tommy “wasn't due for another three weeks”.

Tommy’s grandfather, Terry Kemp, took to Facebook to celebrate the birth of his grandson, posting on Saturday: "Stuck in a car park on the M42 and my new grandson has just been born on the hard shoulder. Chuffed.com".

He later added: "Got my old ticker going again, but mom and baby are doing well."

PC James Barry, from the Central Motorway Policing Group (CMPG) who attended the scene, said: "By the time we arrived mum had done all the hard work and we there to make sure everyone was OK.

"The family were driving home on the motorway and had got caught up in traffic following a diesel spillage.

"The husband did the right thing and pulled over onto the hard shoulder and called us for help.

"He told us that it had all happened so fast that within 20 minutes of his wife going into labour she had given birth.

"The ambulance crew were struggling to get to us as the motorway was blocked, so we blue-lighted the family to the motorcycle museum where the crew were able to meet us and take over.

"It was lovely to receive a photo of the baby named Tommy and we are glad that they are all doing well."

Additional reporting by Press Association