Douglasville officers deliver baby on side of road
DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - A couple of Douglasville Police officers were at the right place at the right time early Wednesday morning to help bring Baby Riley into the world.
"I'm still in awe that I actually delivered a baby and it was an awesome thing to be a part of," said Officer Candace Tongate.
Officer Tongate has pulled over a woman for making an illegal U-turn at Douglas Boulevard and Highway 5 just before 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"A man drove up on me and asked for help. He said his wife was in labor. And so, I told him as well to pull into the Monterey's parking lot," said Officer Tongate.
The officer let the woman she pulled over go with a warning so she could turn her attention to the excited father-to-be and his expectant wife in the passenger seat of their car.
"When he told me he could see the baby and I walked up and I also saw the baby I realized it was a little closer than I thought it was going to be," said Officer Tongate.
By this time Sgt. Stacy Gruber had arrived to help Officer Tongate, she had slapped on a pair of gloves and was getting help from a 911 dispatcher to deliver the baby girl.
"Mom did great. She knew what her body was telling her and she followed through with what she had to do. She delivered that baby and I was just there to catch her," said Officer Tongate.
Sgt. Stacy Gruber said he helped with blankets in the delivery of the little girl.
"When the baby came out Officer Tongate rolled it over to its stomach. I had hold of the umbilical cord, cause it broke. And you hear that first cry, see the smile on the mom, and dad's face. It's priceless," said Sgt. Gruber.
Sgt Gruber and Officer Tongate said the ambulance arrived within minutes, but by then the little girl, who they were told had been named Riley, had been born.
The officers said the family, the mother, father, and two young children, were on the way to the hospital when Riley made her unexpected entrance.
"It's a special moment anytime a child is born. We were put in that situation for a reason," said Sgt. Gruber.
"I don't have kids and this is the first child I've been involved with coming out and I will definitely remember for the rest of my life," said Officer Tongate.
FOX 5 News reached out to the family, but did not hear back as of late Wednesday evening. Officer Tongate said Baby Riley and her mom were both doing well.