QUINCY, Mass. — Police say a communication mix-up left a 9-month-old baby alone for a ride in an Uber, with the driver unaware.
The baby’s parents had the Uber driver stop at a Tedeschi’s in Quincy on the way to a relative’s home in Whitman.
There was some miscommunication as both parents got out and the driver unknowingly took off with the baby.
“We parked in Tedeschi's and I was like, ‘I'm just going to grab a drink. And when I was about to go in the store, I saw him driving away and I came out and I was like, what the ****?” that father told FOX25 by phone.
Investigators said the driver thought only the dad was getting out, while the mother and baby – who he thought were both in the backseat -- would continue on to Whitman.
“The driver did not realize there was a miscommunication,” Quincy police detective Jennifer Tapper explained. “He thought he was dropping the father off. He was not aware that the mother had also exited the vehicle."
So the driver left and the parents frantically called 911.
“So you both got out of the car and left a 9-month-old in the car and went out to get a drink in Tedeschi's, 7-Eleven?” the dispatcher can be heard asking in the recorded 911 call.
Using the Uber app, police in Weymouth ultimately stopped the driver along Main Street and said he was shocked to see the baby alone in the backseat.
Police said there was no intent, so none of the parties are facing any criminal charges. But police hope the mishap yields an important lesson.
“Someone should always stay in the vehicle with a child,” said Tapper.
It is standard protocol for police to file a report with the Department of Children and Families because the child was separated from its parents for 20 minutes.
For its part, Uber is looking into the situation and is pleased its technology was able to help police.
Cox Media Group
