Pacer Fan Dad Delivers Baby in Car

WESTFIELD, Ind. – As Pacers fever sweeps across Indiana, one of the team’s newest fans made an entrance that’s almost as thrilling as a game-winning buzzer-beater.

For die-hard fans Matt and Kelli Smith, the stress of the NBA Finals took a backseat to a much more personal, high-stakes event: the birth of their son in the front seat of their car.

The Smiths, who attend every Pacers game they can, were on their way to the hospital to welcome their third child when the baby decided he was on a faster clock than the game. With no time to spare, the couple pulled their car over in a Westfield subdivision near 146th Street and Kourtney Place.

That’s when Matt had to make the play of his life.

While on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, he stepped into the role of doctor and delivered his own baby boy. In a moment of pure adrenaline, Matt caught the newborn and handed him to his wife just as emergency services arrived.

The newest member of the Pacers fandom, Landon Smith, weighed in at a healthy six pounds, 14 ounces.

Now safely back home, the family is recovering and, of course, cheering on the Blue and Gold as they battle for the championship. Matt jokes that his son’s dramatic entry into the world is just the start of his basketball journey.

While newborn Landon won’t remember his wild ride into the world, it’s a championship-level story his parents will never forget—a perfect symbol of a playoff run that has the entire state buzzing with excitement.

Pacer Fan Dad Delivers Baby in Car was originally published on wibc.com