What began as a tragic scene was also the site of celebration for some when a suburban Chicago woman gave birth to a baby on Wednesday morning -- while stuck in a traffic jam caused by a fatal car crash nearby.
According to ABC Chicago, Hector Morales and his fiancee Kathryn Engel were heading to the hospital when they came upon a traffic jam near the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Laramie Avenue in Cicero, Ill. Traffic was backed up due to a crash just up the road.
When Engel began having strong contractions, he pulled into a gas station and, with a 911 dispatcher on the line, delivered the couple's second baby at 7:20 a.m., the Chicago Tribune reports. Emergency crews met the couple there and both the mother and the couple's new 7-pound-9-ounce baby -- named Aidan -- are in good health.
"When he came out he did a little yelp, not much of a cry but a little yelp with the hands stretching and I tried to keep him warm," Morales told Fox Chicago of Aidan's first moments of life.
Meanwhile, just down the road a few hours earlier, others weren't so lucky. Around 5 a.m., a car crash and fire between Roosevelt Road and 14th Street on Laramie Avenue claimed the life of one woman and sent two other individuals to an area hospital in critical condition, NBC Chicago reports.
According to the Tribune, charges may be filed against the driver of the car in the crash, which only involved one vehicle. The driver, according to police, has a lengthy criminal record that includes three DUIs.
Morales said in a statement that he and his family were "saddened" to learn of the fatal crash and he expressed condolences toward the families of the victims.
Related
Before You Go
