Mother, with help of troopers, calmly delivers child in car on Cambridge street

By Martine Powers, Globe Correspondent

A baby girl was born in the front seat of a car parked on Huron Avenue in Cambridge today after an expectant couple got caught in rush-hour traffic on their way to the hospital.

Two State Police troopers played the role of midwifes, coaching the mother through the birth and reassuring the anxious father.

Mother, daughter, and father are fine and are currently at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, which was their original destination. The family was identified as Mark and Nancy Bonassera, who are now the parents of a girl they have named Gabriella.

According to State Police, Mark Bonassera called 911 at 8:01 a.m. today saying he was stuck in traffic on Route 2 with a wife who was in labor and potentially about to deliver her child.

State Police told Bonassera, that help was on the way, and to get off Route 2. Bonaserra stopped the Volkswagen Passat at the intersections of Huron and Concord avenues in Cambridge, State Police said.

When troopers Frank Parker and John Arone arrived at the scene, the top of the baby’s head was already visible. Parker got to work, crouching next to Nancy Bonassera while he coached her through the delivery.

Meanwhile, the father paced and sweated outside the car, Arone said. The trooper tried to assure the man that everything was going to be OK.

“He was shocked and nervous,” Arone said. “I remember looking at his face and it was just pale white.”

This was Nancy Bonassera’s second child, Parker said. She stayed calm and knew exactly when to push, he recalled.

The baby, Gabriella, was born at 8:09 a.m.

Parker said he has had some experience with childbirth — he was in the room when both his sons were born — but he had never been “on the receiving end” of a delivery, he said.

“It’s just such a good feeling,” Parker said, “but I was a little shaken up afterward.”

Parker and Arone said they were both surprised by the mother’s composure and cheerfulness throughout the delivery. She never screamed, they said, and smiled through the whole process.

“I’ll be honest with you — I’ve seen people wince more when they’ve gotten in a minor fender bender or stubbed a toe,” Arone said. “This woman gave birth like it was a walk in the park.”