First responders help deliver baby in Elk River parking lot

Mother gives birth on side of Minnesota highway

There are plenty of things you would never expect to happen on the highway — like going into labor.

"The dispatch on the phone was instructing me to deliver the baby. Get ready to deliver the baby," said dad Michael Anderson.     

Anderson, alongside his pregnant wife Ashley Hauger, pulled off of Highway 10 and into the parking lot of Atlas Staffing in Elk River on Thursday morning.

First responders arrived, and Hauger went into the ambulance to head to the hospital, but they didn't get far.    

Tobias Anderson was born so quickly that the ambulance never even left the parking lot.

WCCO

"It's movie stuff," said Hauger. "And it happened in real life."

"It's crazy," said Anderson.

Ashley went to social media in search of the heroes who saved the day and delivered Tobias.

"Well, it's a slightly messy experience," said Alina paramedic Michael Cox.    

Cox and Elk River EMT Kassie Nelson were two of the first responders at the scene.

"We just kept on working on her breathing and everything went well and went fast," said Nelson.    

Cox and Nelson even got to meet Tobias at the hospital.

"It was exciting, it was fun and I felt pretty lucky to be a part of it," said Nelson.

The parents didn't have to look far for inspiration for Tobias' middle name, Michael, named after Michael Cox, who delivered their son.

"Well that's pretty funny," said Cox.

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