A mum gave birth to her baby daughter in the back of an ambulance on a slip road after the vehicle encountered roadworks on a busy dual carriageway.
Alison Chalk and her partner Daniel were on their way to Basildon Hospital when baby Amy decided she just could not wait any longer.
Alison, 27, told her local paper that the baby's head popped out just as the ambulance got onto the busy A13.
"The paramedics said we were going to have to turn off, just as we were coming up to the roadworks," she said, "My first thought was, 'Is she OK?' but there were no complications, thankfully."
Alison, who has three other children, had been sent home from the hospital earlier in the day as her contractions were not established.
When they began arriving closer together on Monday evening, they phoned for an ambulance to take them back to the maternity unit at 6.15pm.
Little Amy ended up arriving at 6.56pm - three days early, and weighing 5lbs 7oz.
"At the time it was quite traumatic, but now we can look back and laugh," her relieved mum said.
"I'd been into Basildon Hospital already that day because my last three children were born without much notice. But they sent me home at about 9am. It was a slow and progressive labour and we ended up calling for an ambulance."
She said that the ambulance crew did 'really well' considering none of them had delivered a baby before!
"They knew what to do and were very calm. They were fantastic," she said.
Amy's place of birth will now be registered as the A1014 Manorway and listed as 'born before arrival'.