MTA Heroes: MTAPD helps deliver baby girl on side of NYC highway
NEW YORK (WABC) -- This week's MTA Heroes are a MTAPD sergeant and officer who helped deliver a baby on the shoulder of a highway.
It happened on Monday, September 22 at 4:05 p.m.
MTAPD Highway Patrol Sergeant Joseph Casale and his partner Officer Eric Li were traveling southbound on I-678, just past Exit 18, the last exit before the Whitestone Bridge Span, when they were waived down by a driver who had pulled over onto the right shoulder.
The driver informed the MTAPD Highway Patrol officers that his wife was in labor and needed assistance.
Sgt. Casale and Officer Li sprung into action, gathering appropriate medical supplies from their vehicle to help.
Both officers, realizing the delivery was moments away, alerted MTAPD Highway Patrol Officers Sam Vira and Brian Gilligan to respond for assistance.
A baby girl was born moments later and safely handed to her mother.
FDNY-EMS then arrived and transported the family to New York Presbyterian - Queens where mother and baby girl were recovering from their exciting ordeal.
At the time of the incident, there was extreme gridlock on the Bronx Whitestone Bridge given the rush hour, U.N. General Assembly, and a disabled tractor trailer which blocked two lanes of the Queens-bound span.
This is the first time all officers, in their 10-plus years with MTAPD, helped to deliver a baby while on duty.
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