Florida deputy helps deliver baby along roadside

PLANT CITY, Fla. — A deputy stepped up to deliver a baby on Sunday on the shoulder of a west-central Florida highway, authorities said.

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According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, a motorist approached Master Deputy Daniel “Red” Jones at about 5:30 p.m. EDT on State Road 60 in Plant City, located 25 miles east of downtown Tampa. The man told the deputy that his wife was about to give birth, WTSP-TV reported.

Jones immediately called for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, but the baby was not going to wait, according to the television station.

Jones, who has been a deputy in Hillsborough County since December 2001, provided encouragement and emotional support, even cracking a joke to ease the tension.

The woman was delivering her sixth child, according to dialogue captured on body camera video released by the sheriff’s office.

“Six? Ooooh! Y’all need a better hobby,” Jones joked as the expectant mother even managed a laugh.

Moments later, Jones delivered a healthy baby girl, WFTS-TV reported.

“There we go, I got a baby,” Jones said, according to body cam video.

It is unclear what the baby was named, but Jones joked that she should be named “Red,” according to the sheriff’s office. Humor aside, medical personnel arrived and took the infant and her mother to an area hospital for further care.

“I am extremely proud of Master Deputy Jones’s quick actions and dedication to serving our community in any capacity,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “This is his third time assisting a citizen with delivering a baby! While delivering in the front seat of a car was not the original birth plan, Master Deputy Jones reassured the mother of six that she was in good hands. I wish mom, dad, and their new baby girl all the joy and happiness. Congratulations!”