A Spencer County dispatcher, Lara Hancock, played a crucial role in helping a couple deliver their first child on State Road 161 early Sunday. At 4:32 a.m., an expectant father urgently called the 911 Dispatch Center, reporting that his wife was in active labor. Dispatcher Hancock, filling in for another dispatcher, calmly guided the father through the birth process, advising them to pull over. Amidst the darkness, at 4:35 a.m., the cries of a newborn baby girl marked an extraordinary roadside birth. Hancock offered instructions on caring for the newborn’s initial moments, while fellow dispatcher Hayley Goldey dispatched law enforcement and medical teams. Deputy Luke Fitzwater arrived to provide support until emergency medical services took over. Hancock praised the father’s composed response and drew on her own experience as a mother of three to guide the couple. The newborn is reportedly in good health. The Spencer County Sheriff’s Office lauded the teamwork of their dispatchers, deputies, and medical responders.
