Toronto Mom Says Uber Did Nothing When Driver Left With Her 5-Year-Old

A Toronto mother says Uber refused to assist police after a driver left with her sleeping 5-year-old, prompting a frantic hour-long search.

CBC reports that a Toronto mother revealed that her five-year-old daughter experienced an unexpected ride when an Uber driver unknowingly left the sleeping child behind in the backseat. The incident occurred during March Break when Julia and her family returned from watching the Raptors game by taking an Uber.

While unloading her other children and their belongings outside her boyfriend’s home, Julia momentarily stepped away to grab the garage opener. Before she could return, the Uber drove off — with her daughter still inside.

“I’m returning to the road and I realized the car, it’s gone,” Julia told CBC. “The three kids are already in hysterics. ‘Why did he leave with her? Where did he go?’ I’m trying to keep it together for my son.”

Panicked, Julia called 911. Police arrived quickly and reached out to Uber, requesting the driver’s contact details, as reported by CBC. But according to Julia, Uber flatly refused to help, insisting that officers would need to submit a formal emergency request through the company’s designated online portal.

“All we wanted was for them to contact the driver — that’s it — and they refused,” said Julia. “This was not a purse or a phone left behind. It was a five-year-old child on a winter night,” CBC reported her saying.

The Toronto police discovered the driver and child through their own investigation without receiving assistance from Uber. According to police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer, the driver cooperated with authorities after being discovered by police, and was not aware the child remained inside the vehicle, as reported by CBC.

The child was safe but distressed, and paramedics assessed her as a precaution. CBC reports that the family received a $10 credit from Uber which Julia described as an insult.

CBC reports that in a statement, Uber said the safety of all riders is a top priority and that their support team followed standard protocols. However, Julia says she’s now pushing for policy changes.

“You can offer me $1 million,” she said. “If there are no policy changes, I will not be accepting that.”