It was just the beginning of rush hour on I-95 southbound. And a baby was coming.
The city of Pawtucket is commending five of its firefighters for helping a new mother deliver a baby Friday afternoon when she went into labor behind the wheel and called 911.
Two crews - an engine and rescue unit - got onto the highway just after 3:30 p.m. and found the 26-year-old woman in her car near Exit 25 (Smithfield Avenue).
No time for much else, they got the woman into the rescue unit. Her healthy baby girl arrived there at 3:48 p.m. Once everyone settled down a bit, the rescue crew took the mother and her new arrival over to Women and Infants Hospital in Providence. The fire department said at last check the pair of them were healthy and doing well.
Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien and Fire Chief William Sisson gave kudos to D-platoon members Capt. David Reed and Capt. Earl Newman, and firefighters Tiffany Pacheco, Stephen Bejma and Shawn Bailey, and also wished all the best to the new mother.