By the Enterprise staff

A woman gave birth on the side of the road recently in St. Lawrence County after a state environmental conservation officer tried in vain to escort her to the hospital.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation reported that on Thursday, June 1, ECO Jon Ryan was driving in St. Lawrence County when he noticed a vehicle coming up behind him with its hazard lights on. The driver signaled for Ryan to pull over, and on the shoulder of the road the man informed Ryan that his wife was in labor in the car.

Ryan began to escort the couple to the hospital in Massena, but the man again signaled for Ryan to pull over, at which point the man informed the officer that the birth was imminent.

The woman is a physician’s assistant and was able to self-deliver the baby before the ambulance met them on the road. The woman and baby were taken via ambulance to the hospital in good health.