ATLANTA — Trooper Brett Rutledge has spent the last seven years serving with Georgia State Patrol. Family inspired his law enforcement career and his military service in the Army before that. And while he's used to abiding by the rules of the road, Rutledge never expected a new milestone in his career that would bring new life into the world.
"You never know what you're going to find riding around on the road," Rutledge said. "I was actually on the way into work. I hadn’t really started my shift. We’re in stop-and-go traffic coming down I-85. I was just trying to get to headquarters and get my day started. There was a car on the left shoulder with its hazards on. I didn’t think anything of it, and as I passed by it in stop-and-go traffic, they come driving up next to me."
Last Friday, Rutledge said the man flagged him down and conveyed that his wife was expecting and about to have her baby. Stop-and-go traffic delayed an ambulance, so the trooper had to take action himself.
"His wife was in the front passenger seat in active labor. It was a surprise," Rutledge said. "I walked over to my car, put some gloves on, and we delivered the baby right there in the front seat. I got to hold it and say, 'Hey look, it's a boy.' Luckily, in my military career, I had to go through a birthing class for medic school. I never thought I'd use that information, but it finally happened."
Rutledge said he battled through a language barrier and a lot of shock to help a new mother give birth and clear the baby's airway. He said a translator from Grady Hospital EMS was able to guide him and the family through the process.
"The father, he was all over the place," Rutledge said. "At the end, when EMS finally arrived, and we got the mom loaded up and the baby in the ambulance, he came by and had me write my name on a piece of paper. I don’t know if they’ll name it after me or what.”
Helping deliver a baby marked a first for Rutledge in a lifetime of service. He said it's important to be aware of hazards on the side of the road and assist other drivers when possible. The man inspired by his own family to serve stepped in and inspired a new family just days before Christmas.
"Usually, we show up on people's worst days," Rutledge said. "This is probably a pretty good pain. They're excited for their child to come into the world. Being there to be able to help them and make sure the baby is safe and breathing and healthy while EMS was there is definitely heartwarming."