Baby born on roadside 'doing well'

(Supplied)
(Supplied)

The father of a baby born on the side of a road in Taranaki says his son is "doing well".

Labour Day came early for new dad Harley Smith after his son, Kado Shakur, was delivered in the passenger seat of his car on Friday morning.

Mr Smith says he was out milking that early morning when his partner Jayme called to say she was in labour.

The young couple rushed to hospital in New Plymouth, but knew they wouldn't make it there in time.

They stopped on the side of the road in Inglewood and Mr Smith was putting down the passenger seat to try and make his partner comfortable, when a police officer spotted them.

Constable Clinton Parker says he thought Mr Smith was behaving suspiciously at first, until he realised what was happening.

He helped the young couple by staying on the phone with paramedics and keeping them up-to-date.

The baby arrived before the ambulance did, with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.

Mr Smith says his partner managed to untangle it, and made sure the baby was breathing.

Mr Parker says after 10 years on the job it was the first time he'd attended a birth, and stresses that it was "all the mother".

"The mother did extremely well, especially under the circumstances," he said.

Mr Smith says his partner and son were back home that same day, and are both doing really well.

Newshub.