Baby Delivered at Medford State Police Barracks After Woman in Labor Gets Caught in Traffic

A woman in premature labor ended up giving birth to a baby girl in the parking lot of the State Police barracks in Medford Wednesday, according to police.

About 1:30 p.m., State Police received a frantic 9-1-1 call that a woman was going into labor in the back of a car on Route 16, but was stuck in gridlock traffic due to issues with the lights in Wellington Circle, according to a state police press release.

The barracks is located on Route 16 near the circle, so State Troopers Paul Higgins, Keith Segee and Karl Johnson ran out to the circle and began directing traffic, the release said.

Keeping in touch with the woman by phone, police received updated locations until her car came into view, the release said. The car was ushed into the barracks parking lot, and the baby girl had just been born when troopers opened the back door of the car.

The baby was wrapped in blankets until an ambulance arrived, which took the mother and baby to Massachusetts General Hospital. Both were in good condition Wednesday afternoon, the release said.