Her husband, 31-year-old Jason, says she crawled out of the car after Wednesday morning's accident. A man driving nearby saw the crash and stopped to help.
The 26-year-old mother-to-be was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where she delivered her son after about seven hours. The accident happened one day before her due date.
An emergency Caesarean section was necessary because the placenta had separated from the uterine wall. Anthony Jason Gruttadaurio was born at 7:15 p.m., weighing 8 pounds, 12 1/2 ounces, Jason told Newsday.
Danielle Gruttadaurio was tired of being cooped up in her home and had decided to go on a shopping trip with her mother-in-law, according to the newspaper. The accident happened on the way to pick her up. Danielle and Jason happened to be on the phone with each other during the crash.
"She was on hands-free with me," Jason told Newsday. "I could hear everything. I was screaming her name. When I didn't hear anything back, I knew something was wrong."
Despite the harrowing ordeal, both are healthy and happy. Danielle reportedly suffered a cut on the head, but was nursing the baby Sunday night.
"She's upbeat," her husband told the paper. "She's happy...It was definitely a roller-coaster ride of a day."
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WEB PRODUCED BY: Bill King
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