Florida Woman on Crack Gives Birth in Motel, Bites off Umbilical Cord
A pregnant Florida woman delivered her baby in a motel bathtub, and that's the least bizarre thing about the circumstances of the child's entry into this mad, mad, mad, mad world.
Chrystal Hassell, 37, had checked into an Ocala, Fla., motel room with her boyfriend and her 11-month-old child, and proceeded to smoke crack for an entire day. Although she was only 7 months pregnant, she started going into labor.
Hassell's boyfriend, Vincent Terry, had left the motel to run an errand, so she delivered the baby herself in the motel bathtub, chewing through the umbilical cord with her teeth.
Afterward, she called Terry and asked him to come back, but he was pulled over for speeding on the way. An officer might have been understanding under the circumstances, but Terry was wanted for attempted murder in Colorado, News 13 reported.
Hassell waited an hour before calling 911, giving the baby breaths to keep it alive, investigators say. She's being charged with child neglect.
The unfortunate baby was airlifted to a Gainesville hospital in critical condition, and the 11-month-old has been placed in foster care. Both parents are now in jail in Marion County.
