Five-year-old girls incredible escape from school van after driver abandoned her in the backseat for three hours

A five-year-old girl smashed the window of a New York City school van after she was trapped inside for hours when the driver abandoned her.

Queens resident Mahtabul Bhuiyan told WABC his daughter was picked up by a private van around 7am on Thursday to be taken to the Al-Ihsan Academy in South Ozone Park.

However, the driver failed to check if there were any students remaining inside after drop off and drove 10 minutes away to Richmond Hill for a doctor’s appointment, locking the sleeping kindergartener inside.

The little girl was frightened when she woke up, but was able to use her hard-bottom shoes to break one of the windows and gave her fathers phone number to a stranger who called for help.

It was like 82 degrees yesterday outside. And the minivan was fully sealed windows. From 7 [a.m.] to 10:30 [a.m.]. So she could have died. She could have died, Bhuiyan told PIX11.

A five-year-old girl (pictured) was trapped inside her school van on Thursday after she was picked up to be taken to the Al-Ihsan Academy and fell asleep

The kindergartener was able to use her hard-bottom shoes to break one of the windows (pictured)

Three hours stuck in that minivan. And shes not unconscious. Im really proud of her because she was really brave. I cant imagine how she handled this situation.

The father said his daughter became hot while she was trapped in the van so she started to take off her uniform and drank her entire water bottle. 

According to AccWeather the high temperature in New York City on Thursday was 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The van was totally dark, nobody can see from outside, tinted. She opened her dress, and water drink, she drink all of the water because of too much heat inside. She couldve died inside, Bhuiyan said.  

Al-Ihsan Academy is a private Islamic school that costs $6,250 annually for grades K-8. Included in the fee is the school provided private transportation that costs $175 per student for each month. 

That school van driver, a man named Faruk, told PIX11 that he forgot to check the backseat.

Her father Mahtabul Bhuiyan (pictured) said his daughter became hot while she was trapped in the van so she started to take off her uniform and drank her entire water bottle

Al-Ihsan Academy (pictured) is a private Islamic school located in South Ozone Park that costs $6,250 annually for grades K-8

No, no. I dont know. Because she sleeping, he said. Yeah, it was mistake. Mistake. Inshallah. I will do it, inshallah. Sometimes me forget, like sometimes. You understand?

The school released a statement saying calling the incident unfortunate and offered their support to the parents.

This unfortunate incident deeply saddens us. The driver has been suspended. We met with the parents and will continue to offer support to them, Al-Ihsan Academy said.

On average, 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle, according to the National Safety Council.

So far in 2024, 32 deaths have been reported and more than 1,000 kids have died in these incidents over the last three decades.