A Taxi Driver Is Being Hailed A 'Hero' In Toronto After Helping Deliver A Baby In His Cab

Birthing plans don't always go according to schedule and one taxi driver in Toronto can definitely attest to that.

On Friday the 13th, a woman ended up giving birth in the backseat of a Beck Taxi, and luckily her driver was on hand to help bring her baby boy into the world.

Vernon Warnor picked up the expectant mother and her young daughter from a Scarborough residence at around 6 a.m., and after spotting a suitcase, he assumed he'd be taking them to the airport.

"She called me for assistance to help her with the luggage, but when I got closer to her, I realized that it wasn't an airport [trip.] It's a pregnant lady, and she wanted to go to the hospital," Warnor told Narcity.

Warnor helped buckle in the rider's daughter who he guessed was around 4 years old, and from the get-go, he could tell the woman was in "some sort of pain."

He asked her if she was due to give birth, and he says she explained it wasn't her exact due date, but with how she was feeling, she needed to get to a hospital.

Warnor was set to take her on the 38-minute trip to get to a hospital downtown, but just five minutes into their journey, her water broke.

Faced with a game-time decision, he got off Highway 401 and rerouted their journey to the nearest hospital, Scarborough General.

"I thought, you know what, I'm going to have to abort the destination."

But as he exited, he started to think about calling 911 for help and pulled into a Mcdonald's.

Warnor says the woman was on the phone with someone he believed could be a part of her delivery team, who suggested they keep going and try to make it to Scarborough General.

"I decided to pull out from the Mcdonald's and carry on to try to make it to the nearest hospital... I headed south onto Markham Road, and the mother said she could feel the baby's head coming out."

At this point, they were seven to ten minutes away from Scarborough General, and Warnor knew "time was of the essence," so he pulled into the nearest gas station and called 911.

Warnor says the operation advised them to stay put and that help was on the way.

"The mother was still on the phone with whoever, and I heard the person say, 'If the head is out, hold the baby and pull...' and by the time I looked around, the baby was in the mother's hand."

Warnor rushed to get the mother's supplies from the back of the car and grabbed a blanket and towel to clean and wrap the baby up with.

"We were told that we should make sure the cord isn't wrapped around the baby's neck," said Warnor. "I was giving updates from the dispatch as to how long it will take for the ambulance to arrive."

Warnor says emergency personnel came "swiftly" and jumped into action to help the woman and her baby.

Beck Taxi has hailed Warnor a "hero" and, in a tweet and confirmed that the mother and baby are doing well.

According to the tweet, the taxi service has plans to thank Warnor for his "quick action."

The trip definitely wasn't the airport ride Warnor expected, but he says he's "thrilled" with the outcome and would do it again for anyone, anytime.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.