Laboring Woman Held at Gunpoint After High-Speed Chase to the Hospital

Scenes of cars racing to the hospital with a laboring woman inside may make for great TV, but they are probably better suited for Hollywood than real life. An Iowa couple learned that firsthand when police clocked them going 30 miles per hour over the speed limit en route to the hospital while the woman was in labor and may now face criminal charges.

Ben and Rachel Kohnen say they feared that their fourth baby would be born in their car because her labor was progressing so quickly. So they sped up and were racing toward the hospital when they saw flashing lights in their rearview mirror. Rather than stop, they continued leading cops on a high-speed chase through town. Rachel tried to call 911 to explain their situation, but because of her heavy labor, the operators couldn't understand her. The chase ended when their vehicle ran over road spikes that backup police placed in their path. The couple was then forced out of their car and onto the ground at gunpoint before the officers involved realized there was an emergency medical situation and got the Kohnens to the hospital. An hour later, baby Hazel was born.

As of now, no charges have been filed against the couple. For baby number five, maybe they'll think to call 911 before driving their own version of the Indy 500.