Couple Welcomes Baby on the Side of the Road During Rush Hour Traffic in N.Y.C.

A baby was safely delivered on the side of the road thanks to the quick actions of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD).

MTAPD Highway Patrol Sergeant Joseph Casale and Officer Eric Li were traveling southbound on I-678 on Monday, Sept. 22, when a driver waved them down near Exit 18, the last exit before the Whitestone Bridge Span in New York City.

According to the MTAPD, the driver had pulled over onto the right shoulder because his wife was in labor and needed immediate assistance.

In addition to rush-hour traffic, the Bronx Whitestone Bridge was heavily congested due to the U.N. General Assembly, and a disabled tractor-trailer was blocking two lanes on the Queens-bound side.

The MTAPD said Sgt. Casale and Officer Li sprang into action, gathering medical supplies from their vehicle to assist with the delivery. Realizing the woman was moments away from giving birth, they called for backup from MTAPD Highway Patrol Officers Sam Vira and Brian Gilligan.

Moments later, a baby girl was born and safely handed to her mother. FDNY-EMS then arrived to transport the family to New York Presbyterian in Queens, where the MTAPD reported that “mother and baby girl are recovering from their exciting ordeal.”

Although the family’s names were not released, the New York Post reported that the newborn baby girl is named Natalie.

The MTAPD shared photos on Instagram and X of Natalie swaddled in a pink blanket while her mother looked on from a hospital bed. Photos also showed the MTAPD officers arriving with gifts for baby Natalie and her mother, and posing for pictures with the family.

This is the first time Sgt. Casale, Officer Li, Vira, and Gilligan—all of whom have served with the MTAPD for over 10 years—have assisted in delivering a baby while on duty, according to the MTAPD.

For their efforts, they were awarded the Bridge and Tunnels President’s Award for Exemplary Service by Cathy Sheridan, president of the MTA’s bridges and tunnels division, during a committee meeting, the New York Post reported.