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APD officers describe 'surreal moment' of helping woman deliver newborn off I-35

"Definitely a first, definitely part of the experience that's for sure."

AUSTIN, Texas — Two Austin police officers working the night shift faced an emergency few officers will ever experience.

Zachary Vandervalk and Thomas Tuminelli had stopped a driver during a traffic stop on Tuesday night near Sixth Street and Interstate Highway 35 when another car pulled up. The driver of the second car came running toward the officers speaking Spanish, but neither of the officers spoke Spanish.

It turns out the driver who was pulled over spoke Spanish and translated for the man. The officers quickly learned he needed help because his wife was in labor and about to deliver the baby.

RELATED: It's a girl! Austin police officers help woman deliver baby on side of Interstate 35

While Tuminelli called for EMS, Vandervalk ran to the car to help.

"Initially we didn't see a baby in the backseat," said Vandervalk. "By the time I got around to the other side of the vehicle to the passenger side, I looked in and saw the mother and the mother pointed down and I could see a baby."

He opened the door and picked up the baby to clear the baby's nose and mouth.

"Cleared the airways, make sure it was breathing," said Vandervalk.

That's when they all heard the noise every parent hopes to hear – crying. It was a healthy baby girl.

"It was a very surreal moment to experience something like that," said Vandervalk.

The next day, the officers stopped by APD's Operation Blue Santa warehouse to wrap gifts for the newborn baby. They packed the gifts in a patrol car and delivered them at the hospital.

"Definitely a first, definitely part of the experience that's for sure," said Tuminelli.

Credit: Austin PD
Two Austin police officers helped a woman give birth on the side of an interstate Wednesday morning.

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