ATLANTA — A Cobb County father had to deliver his new baby daughter in the front seat of his car after his wife went into labor and couldn't make it to the hospital.
Seven-pound 15-ounce Allison Kate Dichiara was due on Thursday, but couldn't wait.
"I knew she was coming fast," said mom Hannah Dichiara.
Hannah said her husband Tony picked her up in Marietta Tuesday afternoon for what should have been a 20-minute ride to Northside Hospital in Atlanta.
"I probably made a few people mad, ran a couple red lights," Tony Dichiara told Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach.
"I was urging him to go faster," Hannah Dichiara said.
The Dichiaras said their first two children, both boys, took all day to deliver.
"When we got off of 285 at Glenridge, she said we need to go I'm having this baby," Tony Dichiara said.
But when Tony pulled up his Honda in front of the hospital, it was already too late.
Tony said he got out and told the security guard standing in front of the hospital door to get a doctor, get a wheelchair, his wife's in labor. He just didn't realize how far along she really was.
Tony opened the car door, but the baby's head was already out.
"'There's no time!' And he walked around the car and she was crowning, so I was like, 'Catch her!' and he did," Hannah Dichiara said.
And baby Allie was born right in the passenger seat of the car.
Tony said he laid Allie on mom's chest and she soon started crying while doctors made it outside to take over.
"You really don't have time to think about it. You just do it," Tony Dichiara said.
"It all happened before I had time to process it, which was probably a good thing," Hannah Dichiara said.
And despite the rushed delivery, both baby and mom are happy and healthy.
"She's a sweet blessing. We're very, very blessed," Hannah Dichiara said.
Father delivers baby in front seat of car
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