Woman gives birth following crash on I-17 near Camelback

A woman who was 8 months pregnant and three of her children were involved in a three-vehicle collision on a Phoenix freeway early Sunday afternoon. After fire crews extricated her from the vehicle, she was taken to a hospital where she gave birth.

The condition of the newborn baby, delivered by emergency cesarean section, was not immediately known, fire officials said.

The wreck occurred along on northbound Interstate 17 south of Camelback Road. The accident blocked three lanes of traffic for several hours.

The collision occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m., said trooper Kameron Lee, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He said it appeared that one of the vehicles, a minivan, was rearended.

When fire crews arrived, they found bystanders had already helped get the woman’s children, ages 14, 8 and 3, out of the vehicle. But the 30-year-old woman was trapped behind the steering wheel, the Phoenix Fire Department said.

Firefighters took 15 minutes to extricate the woman. She was then taken to a hospital where she gave the emergency birth.

The woman also suffered broken bones in both her legs and one arm. She was listed in critical condition, the Fire Department said.

Her children’s injuries were not lifethreatening, the Fire Department said.

The Arizona Department of Transportation said the two right northbound lanes were blocked due to the crash. Officials did not initially know when the lanes would reopen.

Freeway cameras capturing the scene showed at least two fire engines and two ambulances near the site where a car with significant front damage was up against the east wall.

Traffic appeared to be backed up behind the crash.

The cause of the collision was under investigation Sunday afternoon.