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Baby Makes Early Arrival As Mom's Ride Rolls Up To Hospital

(CBS) – A Calumet City couple has the story of a lifetime as they welcome their newest addition.

That's because Mariah Faith Ross's entry into the world wasn't inside a hospital as planned -- but outside Northwestern's front doors on Thursday.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports.

The driveway of Prentice Women's Hospital -- that's as far as Melissa Jones got Thursday night when her baby daughter decided to say hi in the most dramatic way possible.

"I thought we were going to make it to the 18th, but apparently we didn't. She had other plans," Jones says.

She started having contractions at work. Her fiance picked her up and headed toward the hospital. They soon realized they weren't going to make it.

"My water broke across the street, and we heard it – it popped like a balloon, I kid you not," Jones says.

The nearest hospital was Northwestern, but they had trouble finding the entrance. On the fourth try, father Marcus Ross ran for help.

Mariah would wait no longer, however. An OB-GYN was on the way home, and assisted as the baby came into the world.

After less than a minute, 6-pound, 8-ounce Mariah was born in the front passenger seat of the family minivan.

"She came out crying and screaming and looking around like, 'What, where am I?" Jones says.

Jones was rushed inside. Friday, she was just grateful to the hospital workers who helped her and thankful for memories the unexpected delivery will provide for years to come.

"We're going to be laughing about this for years to come," she says.

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