Austin baby born in SUV on side of I-35

A couple delivered a baby girl on the side of I-35 in Austin inside of an SUV at 4:55 Thursday morning.

The couple was only two minutes from St. David's Medical Center, where they planned to deliver their child, but the baby didn't want to wait.

“It just happened so fast,” said Luis Martinez, the baby’s father.

Three days before Jazmin Colin and Luis Martinez were expecting their baby girl, the contractions started and they headed to St. David's Medical Center.

“As soon as I was about to get off on Airport Boulevard, she tells me to stop,” Luis said. 

The couple had planned to have their fifth child in a hospital delivery room, but their baby girl had other plans.

“We almost made it. We were like two minutes away,” said Luis. 

By the time Luis was parked on the access road of I-35, he could already see his little girl.

“So I kind of freaked out for a little bit, but then I grabbed my phone and called 911,” Luis said.

Before the 911 dispatcher could give Luis directions, his baby was born.

“I was like, ‘oh!’ Caught her real quick, didn't even think about it, just caught her, and I was like, ‘We have a baby!’” Luis said. 

Jazmin gave birth to an eight-pound, one-ounce baby in the passenger seat of the couple's Toyota 4runner.

“Totally healthy, beautiful delivery. The only problem was it was in a car,” said St. David’s Medical Center registered nurse Katie Berra. 

“We should've named her Toyota,” joked Luis. 

Instead, they named her Julieta Martinez. 

Once Luis held Julieta in his arms and heard her crying, he finally started to calm down.

The dispatcher told Luis to wrap Julieta in a clean towel, but all he had was his shirt. Then she asked him to tie a string around the umbilical cord, but the couple didn't have any string or shoelaces in the car. Thanks to the dispatcher's quick thinking, there was a backup plan.

“Headphones. Who would've thought?” Luis said. 

That's when paramedics arrived and transported Julieta, Luis and Jazmin to the hospital where they could finally relax.

“She looks all calm right now, but I think she had this planned out,” said Luis. 

Julieta was born less than three hours after Jazmin went into labor.

Berra said most couples make it to the hospital, but it's not unheard of to have a speedy delivery on the drive over. The best thing an expectant mother can do is stay in touch with her doctor once she starts having contractions.