Car Plunges Into Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth; 56YO Investigated for Dangerous Driving

In the early hours of 13 July, people who were trying to enjoy the peaceful nightlife after a long week of work, basking in the sights and sounds of the Fountain of Wealth were greeted with an abrupt “BANG!”

A car, yes, a car, had somehow managed to flip and land upside down in the middle of the fountain.

A nearby bystander shared that he heard the loud bang around 12:15AM.

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived at the scene about 15 minutes later. Fortunately, the people nearby quickly jumped into action, helping to pull the driver out of the overturned vehicle. 

From the photos and videos taken by witnesses that surfaced on social media, the accident site had debris scattered everywhere and the water fountain barricade appeared to be broken. Fire trucks from SCDF were also spotted along the road above the fountain.

The driver, a 56-year-old man, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Thankfully, he was conscious, but here’s where it gets tricky for him—he might have made it out of the frying pan (or I guess, fountain, in this case), but he’s not quite out of the fire (or… water?).

He is still going to be investigated for reckless driving, said the police.

For those unfamiliar, the Fountain of Wealth is a prominent feature at Suntec City.

Once recognised as the world’s largest fountain by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998, it stands at 13.8 metres tall with an elevated ring of 21 metres in diameter, supported by four bronze legs.

The fountain is quite literally the centrepiece of a traffic roundabout, and its water feature is turned on at specific times of the day, making it quite a visual treat for both locals and foreigners alike.

According to Suntec City’s website, the fountain is closed for maintenance from 5 to 25 July.

A Suntec City spokesperson confirmed that the mall is fully cooperating with the authorities on their investigation but are unable to provide further details until the investigation is complete. 

A Repeat Performance?

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time a car has had an unexpected meeting with the Fountain of Wealth.

Back in February 2016, a 40-year-old man crashed his silver Toyota Camry near the same spot. His car mounted the kerb, hit an anchored signboard, and stopped just a few metres from the glass barricade around the fountain.

According to witnesses, the driver appeared unconscious before the police arrived and was later arrested for driving under the effects of cough syrup.

Even earlier in February 2003, just before a publicity event, a crane lowering a new Mitsubishi Colt car tipped over and caused damage to the Fountain of Wealth.

I guess the Fountain of Wealth has a strange magnetic pull for some drivers?

Netizens joke that while people normally throw coins into the fountain for wishmaking, it must take a desperate person to offer whole cars.

At least no one was seriously hurt at the end of it all.