Maricopa baby born in I-10 rush hour

Oct 7, 2020

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Fierros baby_1 — Michaela and Ruben Fierros with newborn Josiah at Banner Desert. Submitted photo

Villages residents Michaela and Ruben Fierros are old hands at childbirth, but this morning brought a surprise in the middle of commuter traffic.

The parents of five children expected their sixth a little earlier than his due date of Oct. 24. Not this early. Michaela, 28, started feeling tell-tale pains as Ruben was preparing to head to work at Chandler Chiropractic.

They called her mother to come watch the kids and took off for Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa in their Honda Civic. They were on the road just in time for rush hour.

Paramedics were called to the scene after the baby was born. Submitted photo

“We couldn’t speed on Maricopa Road this morning, let’s put it that way,” said Ruben Fierros, 33, a Maricopa native. “There were cops everywhere. By the time we were able to get on the I-10, we could go a little faster.”

He said he knew the baby was going to be born in the car when he heard her screams get louder. They thought once they got off State Route 347 they had a good chance of making it to the hospital, “but God had other plans.”

Their children are ages 10, 9, 7, 2 and 1. They had a close call with their last child almost being delivered in the car, so they took along towels this time just in case.

When Michaela began taking off her clothes in the front seat, Ruben pulled over near the junction of I-10 and Highway 60 in the thick of traffic. Michaela delivered her own son, carefully unwrapping the cord around the baby’s neck.

Josiah Fenn Fierros was born at 7:10 a.m. weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces.

Josiah Fierros was born at 7:10 a.m. next to Interstate 10. Submitted photo

“Once the baby was born and we knew he was good and breathing, that’s when I called 911,” Ruben said. “It’s safer to drive with the baby in an ambulance and making sure the airways are clear.”

Ruben’s mother, Lucinda Boyd, said her son was nearly born on the way to the hospital back when SR 347 was just a two-lane road. So, there is a bit of family history at play. That did not mean they were completely prepared for the unexpected.

“We have to get a passenger van now, we have so many kids,” Ruben said. “But we thought we had a few more weeks.”