A mum-to-be gave birth in traffic as her husband drove the wrong way down a dual carriageway on the way to hospital.
Bree Templar, 28, went into the late stages of labour in full view of motorists on a gridlocked roundabout.
Daughter Cordelia Fox’s first experience in the world was in the front seat of hubby Luke’s car – but she was soon wrapped up in his warm jumper.
Helpless Luke, 27, spotted a gap in traffic and sped the wrong way up a dual carriageway in Marlborough Street, Bristol in a desperate bid to reach a hospital.
His shortcut saw the couple pulling up outside the main entrance at the Bristol Royal Infirmary moments later.
Bree, who also has a one-year-old son named Knight, said: “The traffic was gridlocked. People must have looked into the car and seen it all going on – poor people.
“I was trying to get my leggings down with one hand and trying to catch her with the other.
“We were headed into hospital but there was a lot of traffic – it was taking a while to get anywhere.
“Everything escalated very quickly.
“Because the traffic wasn’t moving – and because I was roaring in his ear like a lion – he crossed the central reservation and went up the wrong side of the carriageway past the bus station.
“Cars were beeping – how we didn’t crash I don’t know.”
Luke, who runs a construction company, was “absolutely terrified” when he heard “troublemaker” Cordelia was on the way.
Bree, a cosmetic tattooist, went into labour at 8.30am on February 13 (Tues) and the pair set off for the city’s St Michael’s Hospital, which specialises in maternity services.
But the gridlocked roads and caused panic-stricken Luke to divert to BRI, which doesn’t have a maternity unit.
Bree was stretchered into the hospital and the car, ditched outside the building, had a parking ticket plastered on it when Luke return.
Bree, who gave birth on the city’s busy Bearpit Roundabout, added: “I said ‘it’s coming’.”
“Luke said, ‘she can’t come here’ and I said ‘I can’t stop her’.”
“Luke ran in a grabbed the first person he could find but they seemed a bit confused – they weren’t set up for babies there.
“We stayed in the car parked out front for about an hour in the end, she was perfectly happy wrapped up in one of Luke’s work jumpers.
“He couldn’t move the traffic or stop the birth.
“So he just felt completely helpless. I do remember him flapping and just saying ‘there’s nothing I can do’.”
“Luke ran into the hospital and grabbed the first person he could find but they seemed a bit confused – they weren’t set up for babies there.
“We stayed in the car parked out front for about an hour in the end, she was perfectly happy wrapped up in one of Luke’s work jumpers.
“Doctors and nurses came out and gathered around the car.
“We even got a parking ticket while we were there.”
The whole ordeal lasted less than an hour and a half.
Bree, from Stockwood, Bristol, is now at St. Michael’s Hospital recovering and is due to return home soon – traffic permitting.
“It’s not something I can put into words,” Bree said.
“I just couldn’t believe it was actually happening. But thank god, instinct took over and I turned quite matter of fact and just concentrated on what I had to do to get her out.
“Cordelia is doing very well – the little trouble maker.”
