Baby on board: Sparta police respond to woman in labor, help deliver girl on Route 15
Several members of the Sparta Police Department are being commended for helping deliver a baby girl on the highway earlier this week.
The department received a call at 8:50 p.m. Monday reporting a woman "actively giving birth" on Route 15 south near the Jefferson border, according to a post on the Sparta police Facebook page. In less than a minute, officer Christopher Botta found the vehicle pulled over on the shoulder and made contact with the occupants, Tyler and Stephanie.
Botta saw the baby's head crowning and first made sure the umbilical cord was not wrapped around her neck. Seconds later, Stephanie delivered the girl, named Millie, into Botta's hands.
Additional officers arrived on the scene shortly afterward to monitor Stephanie and Millie until the Sparta First Aid Squad arrived. The mother and baby were wrapped in blankets for warmth amid the cold and snowy conditions, and both were eventually taken to Morristown Medical Center.
Botta reported at the scene that Millie "began crying and appeared to be in good health" following the birth, Sparta police said. The officer contacted Tyler and Stephanie on Wednesday, and the parents confirmed that their baby is doing well.
Sparta Police Chief Jeff McCarrick praised Botta, along with Sgt. Robert Fraser and officers Erick Finley and Alyse Brown, "for their quick actions, compassion, professionalism, and protection from bad weather conditions and highway traffic during this unforgettable experience." He also thanked the Sparta Ambulance Squad and paramedics from St. Clare's Hospital for assisting at the scene.
"As the chief I am very proud of my officers for taking this call to action with using their training and teamwork," McCarrick said.
Additionally, the department congratulated Tyler and Stephanie "and hope that they will come visit us at the station in the future."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Sparta NJ police help deliver baby girl on Route 15
