Auckland police officer helps woman in labour reach hospital averting motorway birth

A mum in deep labour and a worried dad may have seen the arrival of their newborn son on the motorway, had it not been for the quick actions of an Auckland police officer.

Constable Shaw who noticed the car in the emergency lane on Thursday evening transported the woman in labour and her husband in a patrol car under lights and siren.

Shaw said he was returning to Orewa Station via the Northern Motorway when he saw the vehicle.

“I went and spoke to the driver to make sure everything was ok,” he said.

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“There was a woman in the backseat, clearly in labour.”

Traffic was extremely heavy and Gaurav Patil and his wife, Shraddha had missed the turn-off to the North Shore Birthing Unit; both were understandably distressed.

Constable Shaw offered to escort them to the hospital but after a couple of kilometres he pulled over and told them to hop in his patrol car to take them to the birthing unit under lights and siren.

“Traffic was ridiculous.

“I walked them up to the suite and left.”

Calling it “once in a career opportunity”, Shaw said it made a difference to them and meant she could deliver safely – not on the side of the motorway.

Gaurav said his wife had gone into labour at 4am on Thursday and by the time they decided to drive to the hospital, around 2pm, she was in a lot of pain.

Gauurav said, “It was very tense moment.

“I missed the exit for some reason and unfortunately the motorway was just jam-packed. I started sweating and I called 111.

“The next minute Constable Shaw stopped for us.”

Gaurav and Shraddha welcomed their first child – baby boy Aarav at 7.30am on Friday.

“I didn’t get much time to thank him,” he said.