Golden Gate Park traffic jam leads to roadside birth

A woman gave birth on the side of a road in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on Saturday after becoming trapped in severe traffic while traveling to a hospital. The mother, Karollyn, and her partner, Nate, were driving through the park when traffic stalled on Crossover Drive near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Due to the gridlock, emergency responders from American Medical Response were forced to leave their ambulance several blocks away and proceed on foot. Before paramedics arrived, a doula who was also stuck in the same traffic jam stepped in to assist and coach Karollyn through the delivery.

The heavy congestion was attributed to a Caltrans resurfacing project on Highway 101, which diverted motorists onto surrounding streets like 19th Avenue and Park Presidio. The family reported that both the mother and their newborn daughter, Cielle Ray, are doing well.