Toddler rescued after getting trapped in BMW with keys inside at Expo carpark

A toddler was locked in a BMW with the car key for about half an hour until a relative arrived with a spare key to open the doors.

The incident happened at the carpark outside Singapore Expo Hall 5 on Sunday (April 15) at around 5.40pm.

The Straits Times understands that SCDF officers responded to a call for help, but their assistance was no longer required by the time officers arrived at the scene. 

The child's parents had reportedly turned away for a while and the baby was locked in the car, with the keys inside.

A witness, Mr Zhang, 35, told Shin Min Daily News that he, his wife and son were shopping for baby products at an exhibition in Hall 5 when they came across the incident.

A couple, looking visibly worried, stood outside a BMW, while a child was trapped inside. 

Said Mr Zhang: "At that time, I saw the couple. They looked to be in their 30’s and seemed anxious. They kept looking through the car windows.

"I realised that there was a child inside. 

"The parents tried opening the car door but it would not budge.”

Mr Zhang told reporters that the engine of the car was running, and the car doors were locked.

The toddler had left his seat in the car and was moving around inside, said Mr Zhang. 

He added: "Around five to six youths passed by and tried to knock on the windows but to no avail."

About half an hour later, the child's father received a spare key from a relative and successfully unlocked the car. 

Mr Zhang said that by then, a crowd of about 100 people had gathered, and many applauded upon seeing that the kid was safe. 

The parents also accompanied the child as he was being examined by SCDF paramedics at the scene.

The child was uninjured, reports Shin Min Daily News. 

A spokesman at the Automobile importer and Exporter Association (Singapore) told Shin Min Daily News that to prevent kids from getting locked in the vehicles accidentally, parents could off the auto-lock function.  

He said: "This is the auto-lock mechanism of the car. It serves as a safety measure when some drivers forget to lock their doors.

"It will normally kick in about one to two minutes after you close the car doors, or when you step on the accelerator pedal.”

The spokesman also said that the auto-lock mechanism can be turned off, and suggested for drivers who have young children travelling with them to do so.

He said: "If there are children on the vehicle, the auto-lock mechanism can become a hindrance.

"Car owners should turn off this function."

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