Couple forced to deliver son on busy Melbourne road amid climate protest which blocked off West Gate Bridge - ABC News

Bhairav Lad says the couple were forced to take a different route to the hospital due to the road closure, which doubled the length of their trip.(Supplied: Nine News)

A Melbourne couple say they were "praying to God" for the safe delivery of their baby after being forced to pull over on the side of the road to give birth amid traffic chaos they believe was caused by a climate protest on Tuesday.

The protest, which saw environmental activists using a rental truck to block the West Gate Bridge, led to major peak hour delays on one of Melbourne's busiest traffic routes.

Traffic was stopped as authorities dealt with the truck.(ABC News)

For Roshni and Bhairav Lad, the traffic delay meant that what would have otherwise been a 40-minute trip to the hospital, would take twice as long.

"I checked the traffic, like which is the best way to get to the hospital the quickest, but I saw that the M1 was completely closed," Mr Lad said.

"Because of that, I had to take another route."

But when Ms Lad's water broke and the couple were forced to pull over along Boundary Road, she said she began praying for a miracle.

"As soon as my water broke, I [could] feel that my baby's coming out. Then I felt that I don't think I'll be able to go to the hospital," she said.

"My mind wasn't working and I was just thinking, 'What's going to happen?'"

Roshni Lad says she has seen other stories of mothers giving birth on the side of the road but never thought that it would happen to her.(Supplied: Nine News)

A family friend travelling with the couple waved down a school bus passing by, and with the help of a school teacher, the family followed the instructions of a triple-0 responder to safely deliver their healthy baby boy just after 10am.

"I was completely blind, I didn't know what [was] actually happening," Ms Lad said.

"I think God has sent them to help me for my baby's delivery. She was an angel for me."

Climate protester receives sentence, has bail refused

Two of the three climate protesters involved in the demonstration on Tuesday morning were jailed following Tuesday's events.

Deanna "Violet" Coco, 33, and Bradley Homewood, 51, were each ordered to spend 21 days in prison after pleading guilty to charges of public nuisance and intentionally obstructing police.

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Coco, who apologised to the magistrates late on Tuesday evening for the inconvenience caused by the demonstration, insisted that they needed to take "unprecedented" steps to sound the alarm about climate breakdown.

Deanna "Violet" Coco, 33, was sentenced to 21 days in prison.(Instagram: @circacoco)

On Wednesday, the pair applied for bail to appeal their sentences.

Homewood, who represented himself, was deemed an unacceptable risk of re-offending by the magistrate and refused application for bail.

Coco, who was represented by a Victoria Legal Aid lawyer, withdrew her application for bail to appeal her sentence following the decision.

The third accused, 68-year-old Joseph Zammit, was released on bail, with his case adjourned to April 16.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Zammit apologised to the Lads.

"I am deeply, deeply sorry. I would hate for my wife to go through that experience," he said.

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2024-03-06 06:58:49Z
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