An Orange County couple thought they were leaving early for the hospital in preparation for the arrival of their baby girl.
It wasn't early enough.
The mother gave birth on the side of the 5 Freeway Wednesday night in Anaheim as the couple was heading to UC Irvine Medical Center.
"She told me to pull over because the baby's going to come out," said the father, Jeffrey Kiyomutra. "I said, 'Nah, I could probably make it if I drive fast enough, and she was like, 'No, the baby's coming out now.'"
The couple pulled to the side of the freeway near the 91 Freeway transition in Anaheim. By the time he got out of the car and raced to the passenger's side door, the baby had arrived, he said.
California Highway Patrol officers and Orange County Fire Authority firefighter-paramedics later arrived to check on the newborn and her mother.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
"It's great," said fire Capt. Jorge Robledo. "As of now, baby's happy and healthy. Normal delivery is what it seems."
Mom Ally and baby were transported to the hospital in an ambulance.
The couple thought they were being cautious, leaving for the hospital while contractions were four minutes apart. When the baby started coming while in the carpool lane, the couple panicked: their previous pregnancy had ended in a stillbirth.
"Ally was just focused on making sure the baby was healthy and moving and breathing so I think she was channeling all of her energy into the baby to make sure she stays with us," Jeffrey said.
The sound of crying so loud it could be heard above the traffic noise -- which meant good news for these parents.
The Kiyomura’s have a 3-year-old daughter who will soon meet her new sister, all 18 inches 7 pounds and 6 ounces of her, with a story to tell about how she arrived here faster than her dad could drive.
