TUPELO - Before Addison Cate Leech screamed into the world Wednesday night, she terrified her parents and led the cops on a high-speed pursuit.

Not bad for a newborn - rebellious teens everywhere, bow down.

The drama began about 9 p.m. when a very pregnant Christe' Leech heard a pop and thought her water broke. Ten minutes later, she felt a contraction. Another followed five minutes later, and another two minutes after that.

"I told John, 'We're about to have our baby,'" Christe' recalled.

The Tupelo couple called Christe's parents to watch Cate's big brother, 6-year-old John Harris, and they left for the hospital in New Albany.

That's where Christe' saw a fertility specialist and where the couple planned to deliver Cate. But Cate wasn't having it. The infant dropped from the womb into the birth canal near the Fred's on McCullough Boulevard.

Christe' "was screaming bloody murder," John said. "I did a U-turn and started speeding to the Tupelo hospital. I didn't realize until then that our Volvo station wagon could go 130 miles per hour."

John dialed 911 and told the dispatcher his wife was in labor and to prepare the hospital for their arrival. By the time they reached Gloster Street, the top of the baby's head began to emerge.

Still speeding, John ran three red lights as Cate's head turned toward him. Then he spotted a police car in the left-hand lane ahead of him and passed it.

"I told Christe', 'We're about to have a little company,'" John recalled.

Blue lights flashed behind the Volvo as it whipped into the North Mississippi Medical Center parking lot and screeched to a halt near the doors. John ran out to seek help but was told to drive to the next door where medics awaited them.

Before John could find the medics, Cate's head fully emerged. The baby was coming out.

"So I put the car in park," he said. "We were by ourselves, and I ran to her side of the car and caught the baby. It would have gone on the floor board if I had waited four more seconds."

John could feel his daughter's heartbeat, but she wasn't breathing. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. He untangled it, patted her bottom and rubbed her back.

Finally, Cate spit up and began to scream as a mob of police officers and medics descended upon the car. They transported Christe'; and Cate by ambulance to the North Mississippi Women's Hospital where both are fine.

John was escorted afterward; he didn't get a speeding ticket.

"She is healthy," Christe'; said, holding her 6-pound, 8-ounce girl. "She didn't skip a beat."

But mom and dad are exhausted.

"We weren't sure we were going to have anymore children," Christe' said, "and now we're definitely sure we're not having any more."

Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@journalinc.com.