​Utah driver goes into labor, gives birth on Interstate

SALT LAKE CITY - A pregnant Utah woman driving herself to the hospital gave birth to a healthy, nearly 10-pound baby boy on the side of an interstate highway Saturday, police said.

The 32-year-old woman's labor became overwhelming shortly after she left the North Ogden area and she called 911, said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Jalaine Hawkes.

The expectant mother pulled over on the side of Interstate 15 and waited for help.

A state trooper and Police Chief Jean Loveland from the nearby town of Willard sped to the spot.

Within minutes of their arrival, they helped her give birth to a 9.9-pound baby boy in her car.

The mother and baby were taken in good condition to the hospital in Brigham City, about 60 miles north of Salt Lake City.

The woman's name was not immediately released.

"Everyone is really feeling good," Hawkes said.

Roadside births happen occasionally in the state, especially in rural areas where it's harder to get to a hospital quickly, Hawkes said.

Troopers are all equipped with a delivery kit, and when babies are born healthy it's a happy occasions for emergency crews as well.

Another Utah woman gave birth to twins on the side of Interstate 80 in June 2013.

In that case, 39-year-old mother Lynette Hales was 30 weeks pregnant and taking a last getaway in the Nevada gambling town of Wendover near the Utah border when she went into labor. The first baby had difficulty breathing at first, but both baby boys were flown to a hospital in fair condition.