Pregnant Wisconsin woman has contractions after driving on damaged road

MILWAUKEE (NBC, KYMA) - 21-year-old Alexis Ayala was traveling home on her normal route when her vehicle hit a heat-buckled stretch of pavement.

She was 24 weeks pregnant and began having contractions after her vehicle went airborne from the buckled road.

"As soon as the car landed I thought, 'Oh my god, I have to take myself to the hospital. It's actually happening, my biggest fear is happening,'" Ayala stated after the crash.

In the moment, Ayala did not know what had happened, but she knew she needed to get help.

She drove herself to one hospital and was taken in an ambulance to another, where she started having contractions just three minutes apart.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says during extreme heat, concrete can expand and when that pressure has nowhere to go, the pavement can pop up without warning.

Ayala and her son are both okay, and her family has since created a GoFundMe to help pay for her medical bills.

The GoFundMe has a goal of $2,000, with $300 raised so far. If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.