Couple in labor caught speeding

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[video]http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2011/01/04/mackin.nh.couple.fighting.ticket.wmur[/video]

LONDONDERRY, N.H. -- Should a woman in labor receive a speeding ticket for rushing to the hospital?

That's what a judge and jury could decide Monday morning as they're scheduled to hear the case of a Londonderry couple ticketed by a state trooper while speeding on their way to the hospital.

John and Angela Coughlin arrived at court Tuesday morning to find out the hearing date on their ticket was wrong and their trial wasn't scheduled until next Monday.

In September, the Coughlins rushed from their Londonderry home to Catholic Medical Center in Manchester when a state trooper spotted them traveling 102 mph in a 55 mph zone.

In a 911 call of the incident on Sept. 18, Angela Coughlin could be heard screaming in the background -- she said she was both in pain and terrified because her baby was about to be born in the car.

John Coughlin said there was no traffic on the road, and no time to stop, even for the trooper trying to pull him over.

"We hit the 293 split and my water broke," said Angela Coughlin. "He was coming out."

John Coughlin said he didn't realize how fast he was going when a trooper tried to pull him over. He called 911 hoping they could tell the officer what was happening inside the car.

"I'm being pulled over by a cop but my wife's in labor," he said during the call. "Her water just broke, I'm just on my way to the hospital."

The dispatcher told the trooper that Angela was in labor and the trooper turned the pursuit into an escort to the hospital.

Baby Kyle was born 6 minutes after reaching the hospital. Outside, the trooper was waiting with a speeding ticket.

"He said two things, 'Good news, congratulations on your son, and bad news, I'll see you in court,'" Coughlin said.

Coughlin pleaded not guilty to his speeding citation. He plans to fight the ticket Monday morning in Manchester District Court.
 
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