Iowa Police Use Spike Strips To Stop Couple That Was Speeding To The Hospital To Give Birth

When my wife's water broke there was no sense of urgency.   As first time parents we probably should have been freaking out but for some reason we were pretty calm.  She did the dishes and changed and we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast - then she realized she had left her wedding ring at home so we circled back to get it before heading to the hospital.   We took our sweet time.  (so did the baby - 32hrs of labor)

This couple didn't have the same luxury.   Their little girl was coming and wasn't going to wait.   Ben Kohnen and his wife, Rachel, sped down the Iowa highways on their way to the hospital.   Cops spotted the car racing at speeds of 30mph over the limit and started to chase the couple down.  With sirens blaring the cops chased them for miles.  "I did not want him to stop,” said Rachel, who called 911 to explain the situation. “I did not want to have a baby in the car.”  The operator wasn't able to understand her so Ben took over the 911 call “Ma’am, we are heading to the hospital. My wife is having a baby and it’s coming out.”

The dispatcher didn't communicate that message to the pursuing cops in time. Moments after the call, police laid tire spikes across the road, causing the Kohnen's car’s tires to pop.  Police then approached their car with guns drawn ordering the couple out and to the ground.

“Once they figured out I was pregnant and very much in labor, they all responded in kind and really appropriately,” Rachel said of the police.

The cops escorted the couple to the hospital where Rachel gave birth to a healthy baby girl, named Hazel.