A quick-thinking Police officer has helped a couple get to hospital for the
arrival of their first child, despite gridlock traffic nearly forcing a
motorway birth.

Constable Shaw was returning to Orewa Station via the Northern Motorway
yesterday afternoon when he saw a car pulled over in the emergency stopping
lane.

Constable Shaw says he had just finished his shift and was when he noticed
the car with its hazards on.

“I went and spoke to the driver to make sure everything was ok,” he says.

“There was a woman in the backseat, clearly in labour.”

Traffic was extremely heavy and Gaurav Patil and his wife, Shraddha had
missed the turn off to the North Shore Birthing Unit; both were
understandably distressed.

Constable Shaw offered to escort them to the hospital but after a couple of
kilometres he pulled over and told them to hop in his patrol car,
transporting them to the birthing unit under lights and siren.

“Traffic was ridiculous,” Constable Shaw says.

“I walked them up to the suite and left. It was quite cool – a once in a
career opportunity.

“Hopefully it made a difference to them and meant she could deliver safely
– not on the side of the motorway.”

Gaurav says his wife had gone into labour at 4am on Thursday and by the time
they decided to drive to the hospital, around 2pm, she was in a lot of pain.

“It was very tense moment,” he says.

“I missed the exit for some reason and unfortunately the motorway was just
jam-packed. I started sweating and I called 111. The next minute Constable
Shaw stopped for us.”

Gaurav and Shraddha welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Aarav, at 7.30am on
Friday 26 May, weighing a healthy 3.38kgs.

“I didn’t get much time to thank him. I cannot express how relieved we
were to see him.

“The way Constable Shaw helped us, it was just amazing.”

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