Dickson officer delivers baby along I-40

DICKSON, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Hickman County woman’s trip to the hospital last week took a detour when she ended up giving birth on the side of Interstate 40, with some help from a member of the Dickson Police Department.

Dickson officials said Officer Dyllon Larson responded to a call at approximately 6:04 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19 about a woman in labor near mile marker 176 on I-40. He was told the woman, whose water had broken about 20 minutes earlier, was alone in the car.

“I arrived on the scene at [6:09] and ran to the passenger side of the car and could tell the driver was having a contraction,” Larson recalled. “Shortly after she had another, they were only a minute apart or less. I held her hand and reassured her that everything was going to be alright, that medical help is almost here.”

However, after just a few minutes, the mother reported the baby was coming.

“I ran to the driver’s side of the car and lifted her dress to see the baby was beginning to crown,” Larson explained. “Only a few short moments after that the baby was born. I immediately cleared anything I could from his mouth and stimulated his back until he was inhaling and exhaling, then gave him to mom.”

The city said Dickson County Emergency Medical Services arrived a few minutes later, along with other law enforcement officers. The mother and baby Theodore were transported to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, which is where she was heading initially.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, officials said Theodore and his mother visited the police department to thank Larson for his actions.

“Officer Larson was very kind and extremely helpful, especially when it was so greatly needed,” said the Lyles woman, who asked not to be identified. “My family cannot thank him enough for stopping to help us.”

Theodore—who was born healthy at 21 inches long, weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces—is the sixth child in his family. During Tuesday’s visit, the baby’s mother FaceTimed his siblings so they could meet Larson.

Fun fact: Theodore actually shares a birthday with Larson’s first child. In addition, this marked the second time Larson delivered a baby, with the previous one being the officer’s fourth child, according to the city.

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Officials said Larson grew up in Minnesota, earned an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy, graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in 2019, and completed a transition school with the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy. Then, after working in the Detention Division of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Larson joined the Dickson Police Department in October 2022.

“With everything bad and disheartening that law enforcement officers have to deal with on almost a daily basis, it is moments of being able to make a positive impact in people’s lives that encourage us at the beginning of each shift,” Dickson Police Chief Seth Lyles stated. “I can’t say enough how proud I am of Officer Larson putting into action the mission to serve and protect.”

Larson is the second officer from the Dickson Police Department to help deliver a baby in recent years, the city said. Back in November 2018, Sgt. Sierra Reprogal assisted in a roadside delivery after the mother realized she wasn’t going to reach the hospital in time.

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